


Poison Heart

by MonPetitTresor



Series: Shadowhunters in the MCU [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Canon Divergence - Iron Man 2, Caring Alec, Caring Magnus, Developing Friendships, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Feels, Glossed over movie parts, He has a family, Homophobia, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, I try not to be graphic, M/M, Magic Poisoning, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Palladium Poisoning, Past Child Abuse, Protective Alec, Protective Magnus, Raphael is the best brother, Sick Tony, Tony Stark deserves nice things, Vomiting, caring everyone, they love tony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-03-21
Packaged: 2019-10-05 20:39:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 77,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17331953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MonPetitTresor/pseuds/MonPetitTresor
Summary: Tony's life went to hell when he was lost in the desert. He came back with a hole in his chest, metal in his heart, and parts of himself broken in ways he hadn't been sure he'd be able to heal from. With the help of his family, and a whole new extended group of friends, he finally started to heal.Now Tony finds himself up against another hurdle. The very thing meant to keep him alive is slowly killing him. Nothing that he finds is offering him a cure.With the help of his new friends and family, maybe there's a chance he might make it through this, but it's going to require Tony does the one thing that's always been the hardest for him:Trust.(This follows the general idea of IM2, but it IS AU!)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay guys, this is the Iron Man 2 story I've been working on. It's... mostly done. I'm impatient and needed to post.
> 
> Warnings: There is talk of things like Tony throwing up in here, and talk of potential death in the future. Plus, at some point there are talks about Tony's past, and about child abuse. There are also instances of homophobia and racism (speciesism?) that might be upsetting.
> 
> I want to let you guys know that I don't want to type out the whole damn movie for this story lol. So, there ARE going to be sections that are glossed over, though briefly summarized. Ivan Vanko is just... he's there, but he's not an important part of this story, you know? The focus is on Tony, and healing, and his family, and setting some things up for the next story. So don't worry, I'm not going to be quoting the movie line for line, though I do use some. I hope you guys like this, though.

“Tony!”

For most people in the world, hearing their full name was a pretty good sign that they were in trouble. First and _middle_ name even more so. But for Tony, that hadn’t ever been the case. Being called by his whole first name hadn’t ever meant that he was in trouble; instead, it’d signified something else entirely. A sense of peace and love and warmth that Tony couldn’t get anywhere else.

Instead, it was the _tone_ that warned Tony just how much trouble he might be in. It was the way his name was said more than the name itself that gave it away. And there were none better at that skill than Pepper Potts.

“Hey there, Pep. Don’t you look lovely today?” Tony put on his best conciliatory smile as he looked up from the glove he was working on and watched the very clearly pissed off redhead come marching into his workshop. Not for the first time, Tony contemplated actually _locking_ the doors down here so no one other than him could enter. He wasn’t always fond of the way that even Pepper just barged in like this was her own personal space. Especially when it came to Tony getting yelled at, as was clearly about to happen.

“Don’t you start with me, Tony Stark,” Pepper warned him. She had a tablet in one hand, and a look on her face that made it clear that listening was going to be the smart choice this time. “You’ve been avoiding this for days, and we’re running out of time. The Expo is due to open in less than two months, and there are a multitude of decisions that need to be made, paperwork that needs to be signed, and at least three meetings that we need to reschedule since you skipped them completely…”

Somehow Tony managed not to openly roll his eyes at her. The only thing that would get him was more yelling. Still, he couldn’t quite stop the way his lips curled up on one side, or the affection that bled through him. “I’m the boss,” he told her, picking up his nearby cup and waving it at her. “They’re my meetings, so I’m pretty sure I can skip them when I want. And I’ve signed plenty of papers. You’ve had me signing papers nonstop lately.”

“No, you’ve had JARVIS forging your signatures on digital versions of paperwork nonstop lately.”

“ _Touché,_ Ms. Potts.” There was no arguing that and they all knew it. JARVIS had digitally signed papers for Tony countless times. It was easier that way. JARVIS would go through the paperwork, sum it up for Tony, and then sign it for him. Or Tony would warn him about it and JARVIS wouldn’t even have to interrupt him – he just signed it and told Tony about it later. “To be fair,” Tony added on, waving his drink around again to help emphasize his point, “JARVIS probably knows more that goes on at SI than I do. So _really_ , he’s clearly the better choice to be signing things than I am…”

The look Pepper gave him was pure exasperation. It said clearer than words that she didn’t find Tony’s point valid at all, which, _unfair_. He was telling the truth!

Unfortunately, it didn’t look like Tony was going to get out of signing whatever it was that Pepper wanted him to sign. Tony sighed heavily as he rolled his chair away from his workbench and spun to better face her. “You do realize this is my company, right?” Tony couldn’t help but point out. “As in, I’m actually your boss, not the other way around.”

The smile she wore and her demure “Of course, Mr. Stark” were petty enough to make Tony stick his tongue out at her.

Still, when she handed over the tablet and walked him through the papers, Tony signed where he needed to sign, and he took in far more of the information than she probably believed he did. Despite all appearances, Tony actually cared about his company and about this Expo. He wanted everything to be in order.

By the time Pepper left Tony was more than happy to be done with that. He saved his sigh until after she was up the stairs. Once JARVIS let him know she’d left the house, Tony slumped in his seat. He rubbed his fingers across the bridge of his nose and tried to ignore the headache that was building behind his eyes. There was a matching pressure in his chest. One that had become far too familiar over the past few months.

It’d been close to six months since Tony’s miraculous return from the desert. Six months in which he’d started to find healing in some ways, while in others…

Another sigh got caught in Tony’s throat. For a moment he stared down at a little machine that sat on the table by his computer screens. After only a brief hesitation, he’d grabbed it.

One press of his thumb and a tiny prick were all it took. Seconds later, the readout flashed on the little screen, putting his problems in blunt terms.

_Blood toxicity 23%_

“Your levels have lowered since yesterday, sir,” JARVIS commented, voice low.

Tony huffed a little as he tossed the medical scanner down on the counter. “For now.”

From the minute Tony had put the very first arc reactor in his chest, he’d done so with the knowledge that the item that was supposed to save him also had a high likelihood of killing him. Palladium was never meant to be a part of the human body. It was a _poison_. And that’s exactly what it was doing to him – little by little, it was poisoning him. Killing him. Tony had known that would happen and he’d done all the calculations for it. Extrapolated just how long it would take before it would become critical. He’d had JARVIS check it for him, and they’d laid it all out together, making sure they knew exactly how long they had to fix this.

Except, like most things in Tony’s life anymore, nothing was going according to plan.

What should’ve been a steady rise in blood toxicity was, in reality, a roller coaster. One day it was up, the next day it was down. Sometimes it ran the same for days in a row. Other days it was like it wasn’t even there at all. There shouldn’t have been much in the way of signs of it even showing up yet. By his calculations, by this point he should’ve been at five percent, maybe a percentage or two more. Not… not _this_.

But the one thing Tony had forgotten to take into account with all of his calculations was the one thing that seemed to be making everything spiral out of control.

His magic.

Tony had been so sure that his magic would, if anything, help stave off the worst of the symptoms for a little while. That maybe his magic would be busy trying to heal him the same way it healed him from pretty much any human ailments before he even really caught them. Past experience had shown that either the magic itself, or maybe his demon blood, worked to keep Tony from getting sick. Magnus had taught him that the immunity it granted went beyond more than just colds, protecting against some of the deadliest diseases, too. There weren’t any records of warlocks dying of cancer, or AIDS, and they were even immune to quite a few poisons.

It would seem palladium was something else entirely. Maybe because it wasn’t an illness. Or maybe because it was a part of his arc reactor, something that Catarina said Tony’s magic had _bonded_ with and made just as much a part of him as his hair or his eyes. Either way, it seemed to have some effect on the palladium, dropping and raising the levels in his body.

Despite their best efforts, neither JARVIS nor Tony understood it. The only thing they’d been able to discover about this whole mess was that there were two definite things that affected it, that made it worse.

Using the Iron Man suit… and using his magic.

Each one, without fail, brought Tony’s toxicity levels up. Every time Tony used the Iron Man suit, every time he performed the smallest bit of magic, he was killing himself that much faster.

Which meant that, steadily, each and every day, Tony was pushing himself closer and closer to death. Because there was magic he carried with him always, always in use, that he couldn’t ever stop. If he let that bit of magic go, the glamour hiding his warlock mark would fall, and the whole world would see what Tony truly was. And that was something he couldn’t let happen.

* * *

Tony lost track of time once more as he dove into working on his suit. It was a nice way to keep himself from thinking too much about anything and everything. Fast though his brain was, and capable of working in multiple directions, he’d always been able to lose himself in engineering.

He was interrupted by JARVIS – no real surprise there. But this time it wasn’t to scold him, or try and convince him to eat, or any of JARVIS’s usual stuff. No, this time it was to tell him: “Sir, you have an incoming call from Mr. Lewis.”

It took just a second for the words to translate through Tony’s brain. For him to realize those were words, not numbers or calculations, and then to recognize what those words actually _meant_. When he did, a smile spread over his lips. “Buzz him through, J.” Tony bent back down over the back of the suit. He waited until he heard the sounds of background noise that told him the call had connected, and then he grinned. “Lewis! How’s my third-favorite vamp?”

“ _You know, I’m still not sure if I should be offended or really complimented by that_.”

The sound of Simon’s voice – wry and clearly amused – made Tony’s grin grow.

He’d been just as surprised as anyone else when he discovered just how much he got along with the babbling fledgling. At first Tony had started to talk to Simon as a way to feel him out, see if he was really good enough for Tony’s big brother – especially once Raphael finally broke down and actually took Simon out on a date. But somehow, it’d grown beyond that. Simon and Tony had discovered a mutual love for nerd movies, as Magnus put it, and Tony had been pleasantly surprised to discover an extremely sharp mind underneath all that rambling and ridiculousness. The kid had a head for numbers. One that Tony wouldn’t mind putting to use one day.

“You let me know when you figure it out,” Tony teased him. He leaned forward, brow furrowing as he carefully slid a wire into place. “What’s up, kid? Why aren’t you off canoodling with Rafa or something equally disgusting?”

“ _Um, you do realize it’s morning, right_?”

Morning? _Huh_. Tony could’ve sworn he’d come down here in the evening time. But, then again, Pepper had been by with all that Expo information…

Tony’s thoughts were cut off by a heavy sigh echoing from the speakers. “ _You lost track of time again, didn’t you?_ ”

Even though there was no one there to see it, Tony’s grin turned a bit sheepish. “What? Me? Never! I just… got caught up in a binge of creative genius. You can’t just ignore these things, Si. I mean, really, who has time for mundane things like _clocks_ when there’s science waiting?”

That speech didn’t work any better on Simon than it did on Pepper or JARVIS. “ _Yeah, well, put down your impressive science, big guy. It’s after nine, and you’re late for breakfast. I’ve been standing here waiting for like twenty minutes_.”

Breakfast…? Oh, _shit_. Tony swore, long and low, as he began to extract his hands from the mess of wires in front of him. “It’s Sunday?” he blurted out. How the hell had he not realized it was Sunday? “JARVIS! Why didn’t you tell me it was Sunday?”

“My most sincere apologies, sir,” JARVIS said. “I assumed after the fifth such reminder, you’d be aware of both the time and the date.”

Tony cast a glare up at the ceiling while he closed the last panel over the wires. “You know, I’m sure the DMV would love to have someone help them with their day to day tasks.”

The deadpan “I’m quite sure, sir,” was enough to have Tony’s scowl breaking and a reluctant smile touching his lips.

Their moment was interrupted by the sound of Simon clearing his throat. “ _As adorable as you guys are, and really, you’re both kind of like unfairly cute right now, I’d like to actually find out if I’m getting breakfast soon or not, and if I’m doing it alone_.”

The words were teasing, not as angry as they might’ve been from anyone else that Tony knew. That was just the type of kid that Simon was. If Tony told him that he was too caught up in science to come, he knew that Simon would be disappointed, but he wouldn’t be angry. It took a lot to actually make him mad. He seemed to have infinite patience with Tony and all his quirks – at a level that, up to this point, only Magnus and sometimes Rhodey had reached. Not even Raphael was as patient. He and Tony set each other off too much; they loved one another, but their love was bright and fierce, and that meant that they fought sometimes.

That, as much if not more than anything else, might’ve been the reason why Tony found himself building such a fast, strong friendship with the Daylighter. The closeness of their friendship was what had Tony giving an honest “Sorry, buttercup,” instead of the usual snark he might’ve delivered. Of course, because Tony was an asshole and anyone who knew him knew that, he followed it up by lying his ass off. “I’m on my way – I’m leaving right now, I swear!”

Even as he said it, he was moving towards the sink at the side of the room. Because JARVIS was amazing, and he really did know Tony better than anyone, the AI disconnected the call before Simon could say anything. That left Tony free to quickly try and hurry through cleaning off his hands.

Other people would’ve probably been surprised by just how much Tony was hurrying to try and get ready to meet up with Simon of all people. Not that Tony really cared what anyone would think about this. The two had been meeting up every Sunday for coffee and breakfast. They’d started it after Tony had found Simon working in a coffee shop one morning when Tony had dragged himself out of Magnus’ loft in search of some precious caffeine, not willing to tax himself by snapping some up – his levels had been a bit high that day. When he’d found Simon in there, the two had talked over the counter for a while, during which Tony had been more than a little surprised by just how much he’d _enjoyed_ their conversation.

After that, Tony had found himself going back to the coffee shop more than once when he’d stay over at Magnus’ loft. How it’d turned from _that_ into a weekly coffee-breakfast- _thing_ , Tony wasn’t sure. But he enjoyed it. He enjoyed getting to know the kid who loved Tony’s big brother so whole-heartedly, and who, if Raphael had his way, would be at Raphael’s side for a very long time.

Amidst a group of mortals and immortals, getting to know those you could potentially know for centuries was important. The fact that Simon and Tony were some of the youngest of the immortals they knew only further cemented that bond.

Just five minutes after Tony had hung up, he was calling up his magic to make the necessary portal to go meet with Simon, ignoring the tug in his chest or the way his magic _burned_ just the slightest bit. This week they were meeting up outside some new little diner down in Queens that Simon had passed by once and wanted to try. Though Tony couldn’t portal directly there, he knew the area well enough to portal just a few streets away. Once he did, he hurried out, easily making his way through the morning crowd.

When he caught sight of Simon standing on the street ahead of him, there was no way Tony could’ve kept his grin inside. The more time that Simon spent with Raphael, the more the older vampire seemed to be having an effect on the fledgling. Not just in behavior, but in looks as well. While Simon wasn’t dressed in the three-piece-suit style that Raphael often liked to keep himself in, the jeans he wore today were clearly a much nicer quality, and so was his shirt. It was also – if Tony wasn’t mistaken – _tailored_.

“Well I’ll be damned,” Tony drawled out once he got close. He watched Simon’s head snap up, and he flashed the kid a grin. “Looks like someone’s been on a shopping trip.”

Simon shuffled a little, giving Tony a sheepish grin. “Some of my stuff got a bit ruined, so Raphael helped me replace them.”

Ruined, huh? Tony tried not to chuckle. Oh, he was going to have so much fun teasing his brother later for that. He could just imagine the ways that Raphael might’ve intentionally let them get ruined just so he could replace them. “It’s a good look for you, kid,” Tony said, taking pity on him.

“Thanks.” If it were possible for vampires to blush, Simon probably would’ve been as red as the Iron Man armor. But then he was looking Tony over, and his eyes were twinkling with clear mirth. “You… look like you rolled out from under a car.”

A look down proved that that wasn’t an inaccurate description. Tony’s Black Sabbath t-shirt was marked with grease and oil and something else that he wasn’t quite sure of. There was a smear of grease on Tony’s bicep that he’d missed in his hand-washing, plus some marks on his jeans where he’d clearly wiped his hands off at some point. Not to mention, the jeans were old, comfortable ones that were well worn and faded in a few places and had some tears in others. _Oops_?

Tony waved his hand over himself and got rid of all the dirt and wrinkles. “There,” he said, nodding his head before looking up to grin at Simon. “Better?”

“Dude, are you _trying_ to get in trouble?” Simon hissed out. He grabbed Tony’s arm and started to haul him towards the diner like he had to get him off the street, _now_. It was way too amusing to watch how his eyes darted around before coming back to Tony in an attempt to glare at him. “Someone could’ve seen you!”

Tony laughed, shaking his head and following along after Simon. “Calm down, Lewis. There were barely even any sparks.”

The door to the diner was pulled open and then Simon was shuffling him inside. Tony let himself be led. He was grinning, though. How could he not? Simon looked like he was doing his best Raphael-impression with that scowl on his face, yet the guy was too much of a softie to really pull it off, and all Tony wanted to do was reach out and pinch his cheeks.

So, naturally, once Simon had tugged Tony through the diner and over to a booth, that was exactly what Tony did. He broke away from Simon’s hold right beside their booth and brought both hands up to pinch his cheeks while he made a cooing sound at the kid. “You’re so adorable!”

Simon swatted Tony’s hands away. “And you’re ridiculous.”

“Well, yes, you’re just now figuring that out?” Tony shook his head and clicked his tongue. “Geeze, Angelus, c’mon. I thought you were smarter than that.”

The nickname had Simon rolling his eyes. Still, as the two sank down into their seats opposite one another, a hint of a smile was tugging at his lips. “You realize if you start calling me things like _Angel_ , people are gonna wonder.”

Humor softened Tony’s face. He grinned, his eyes crinkling up at the corners. “Let ‘em wonder.” There was a reason that was one of Tony’s favorite nicknames for the kid. There weren’t many who would catch the reference to the TV show he was talking about, or get why Tony was calling Simon that. Especially not those of them in their world – a world where angels and Nephilim existed. Which, naturally, was half the fun in it for Tony.

Now that they were seated, Tony took a moment to look around the place that Simon had dragged him inside of. There wasn’t a whole lot about this diner that seemed all that special. It looked like a million other ones out there. The layout of booths and tables were set up in a large L-shape that matched the setup of the long counter that separated the customer space from the back and the kitchens. There was a row bolted down seats all along the bar – simple metal poles with a dark red cushion on top. The whole place seemed to be in a red and white retro theme that spoke back to the fifties.

Then Tony caught sight of someone over at the far end of the bar, the furious look on their face, and Tony froze. “Oh, hell.” That really wasn’t what he wanted to deal with.

“What is it?” Simon asked, voice sharp. “What’s wrong?”

Tony ignored him. He was too busy trying to read the threat in front of him and figure out just how serious it was. There was no doubt in Tony’s mind that there _was_ a threat. That was clear in the disgusted look crossing the faces of the Shadowhunter and his friend as they looked their way. Or, more accurately, at _Simon_. Clearly, they had no idea who Tony was, but they knew who Simo was, and they didn’t look happy about seeing him here.

The smart thing to do would’ve been to keep his mouth shut. Quietly go about ordering breakfast, ignoring the two assholes who felt they had the right to glare at a guy out in public like this, and just have a good time. Tony was a damn good conversationalist. Especially when he had to be. He’d easily be able to distract Simon and make sure that they had a good time.

That would’ve been the _smart_ thing to do. But as soon as Tony looked back at Simon, a story already ready to distract them both, he caught sight of the look on Simon’s face. The brief dart of his eyes over to where Tony had been looking, the small flinch to his shoulders, the way he ducked his head down. Tony saw all of that, and any plans at being _smart_ flew out the window. “You know them,” Tony said, making it very clear it wasn’t a question. He wasn’t going to give Simon any wiggle room to try and lie to him.

Simon turned deliberately away from them, almost like he was putting his back to them, and yet it didn’t escape Tony’s notice that he kept himself angled just enough to be able to watch them. “A bit. I’ve seen them around the Institute a time or two, that’s all.”

Oh, no, it was clearly more than that. Tony narrowed his eyes as he studied Simon’s face. That wasn’t just discomfort. That was _worry_. These two were enough to make Simon worried even while out in public and with a friend.

 _Like hell_ if Tony was going to let that stand.

Temper had always been Tony’s downfall. Temper, and protectiveness of those he cared about, even if he hadn’t always had the strength to back it.

Tony caught sight of the waitress making her way to them, menus in hand, and he saw the sneer grow stronger on the one Shadowhunter’s face – he was nudging his buddy and shamelessly pointing towards them, his disgust clear even if they couldn’t hear his words – and then Simon _flinched_ in a way that reminded Tony that the vampire with strong hearing probably heard every single word. And that? That was _it_.

“Hey, order me some coffee and waffles, would you?” Tony asked, reaching out to pat Simon’s hand while at the same time pushing himself up to his feet. “Blueberry ones. I’ve got a hankering for blueberries this morning.”

“Where are you…?”

“I’ll be right back. I’ve just got some business to attend to real quick. Shouldn’t take but a moment.”

Without giving Simon a chance to speak up or lodge any kind of protest, Tony was on his feet and moving away from their booth, making right towards the two Shadowhunters at the bar. A bright press-smile was on Tony’s lips, and his walk was loose and easy. He walked across the checkerboard floor like he was strolling down a runway. “Hey there!” Tony called out as he got close, drawing both sets of eyes to him. “Is there something I can help you gentlemen with?”

One of the Shadowhunters was older, a bit of grey dusting his temples, while the one next to him had a similar enough bone structure that Tony was guessing they were related. Siblings, if he was gauging their age right. Old enough to be part of a different generation, yet young enough to still be out in the field instead of behind a desk or back in Idris. But their dark hair and almost grey eyes were enough to clearly mark them as family.

“No problems here,” the older of the two said. His tone was just a bit flat, and the disgust had yet to fade from his eyes. If anything, it sharpened when his gaze darted over Tony’s shoulder, back to Simon.

 _Wrong move, asshole_. Tony came to a stop just a foot away from the duo. He set himself up so that he was deliberately between his friend and these assholes. Then, hooking his thumbs into his pockets, he grinned up at them. “Really? My mistake, man. I just figured that what with the way you’re trying to glare holes in my friend over there, maybe there was some sort of trouble. Or are you one of those angry-flirty types? Cause if that’s the case, I should warn you right now, he’s not interested. Besides which, my brother’s a bit of a possessive asshole, and I don’t think he’d like if his partner came home with some other guy’s number.”

It took a second for all of Tony’s rambling to finally pierce through the guy’s head. As soon as it did, Tony saw his eyes widen, saw the disgust flare brighter, outrage mixing in. “What? No!”

“Mm, I figured as much, but who knows?” Tony shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not gonna judge someone’s pleasure. But, see, if you’re _not_ angry flirting with him, I’ve got to assume you’re actually just glaring at him. And, as rude as it is to stereotype, I’m still betting that your glaring has a little something to do with _these_ …” Here Tony reached out and let one single finger trail in the air over the deflect rune on the guy’s forearm.

The guy jerked back before Tony could even touch him. At the same time, he reached a hand down to his waist, and his younger brother did the same.

Tony grinned. “Now, now, you wouldn’t want to cause a scene, would you?” He lifted his free hand and gestured vaguely towards the rest of the diner. Specifically, the waitress who was walking away from Simon and was eyeing them cautiously as she went. Tony waited for her to disappear into the back, and then he snapped his fingers and waved his hand, blue sparkling around it before it faded away. The way it made the two Shadowhunters tense even more only served to widen Tony’s grin. “There! Now we can chat without worrying the little mundanes.”

“ _Warlock_ ,” the younger one hissed out. His hand was clearly gripping tighter to the handle of his seraph blade.

If he thought to use Tony’s species as a threat, he really needed to work on his insults. Tony had been called worse every single day in the media. Being called by his _species_ was nothing compared to how ruthless the press could be.

“Are we stating the obvious?” Tony asked, arching one eyebrow. He pointed at the two men. “Shadowhunter, Shadowhunter.” His finger drew in towards himself. “Warlock.” Then over to point at Simon. “Vampire.” And then he gestured vaguely towards the kitchens. “Mundanes. Now that we’ve established everyone’s species was there something else you needed to say, or can my friend and I go back to enjoying our breakfast without judgment from the two assholes in the corner?”

“Your kind shouldn’t be in here,” the older one snarled out. “Why don’t you go to your own places instead of dragging your filth through clean places like this?”

Tony tilted his head to the side. “Just so we’re clear, are you referring to us being Downworlders, or the fact that I mentioned earlier that he has a boyfriend? Cause, I mean, when you tell us we’ve got our own places, I just want to make sure I know which places those are. Not that it really matters either way.” This time when Tony paused, he let some of his good cheer melt away. Let the hard, dangerous look creep into his eyes and add an extra edge to his voice. “Last I checked, this diner isn’t specifically Shadowhunter territory, and you’ve got no right to keep us out of it. So I suggest you two pull your heads out of your asses and walk away before you find yourself with more of a problem than you can handle.”

The older of the two turned himself so that he could slide off his seat, drawing up to his full height, which had him towering over Tony. “Watch how you talk to me, you filthy little half-breed.”

“Or what, hotshot? I haven’t done anything, so you’ve got no rights to attack me. Not unless you plan on getting tossed in the Gard for breaking the Accords.” Tony’s grin was edged with dark humor. “Your current Head is a bit less tolerant of prejudiced assholes than your last one.”

A sneer curved the younger’s mouth. He rose up by his brother, shoulder to shoulder, and added his own glare towards Tony. “As if we care what that demon-loving _fag_ says…”

Those words snapped something inside of Tony. The control he’d been fighting so hard to hold on to vanished almost completely. Somehow, he kept hold of the thinnest threads of it, managing to _not_ lash out no matter how much his magic was screaming for it. He wasn’t able to stop the way it was sparking and glowing around his hands, though, or how his voice dropped down to a furious snarl.  “ _Watch your mouth_.”

That was all the time he had to say anything, though. As soon as the two Shadowhunters caught sight of the magic around Tony’s hands, they assumed the worst, and they responded with typical Shadowhunter speed. Seraph blades were pulled out and Tony just barely had enough time to dodge to the right and fling himself away from the first slash of a blade.

He heard Simon running behind him, calling out to someone, and he hoped that the kid was getting out, or maybe calling for backup.

Then Tony didn’t have time to worry about anything else anymore. The two Shadowhunters were on him, and, assholes though they may be, they were damn good at what they did. They were fast, clearly used to working together, and they didn’t seem to have any qualms about what kind of damage they might cause. Unlike Tony, who was fighting to not only _not_ use his magic – he already had some up over the doors, trapping the kitchen staff in there, and he could feel the magic burning in him more so than when he’d made the portal, warning him just how dangerous it’d be to use it too much – but also not seriously hurt them. The last thing he needed was them claiming _he_ broke the Accords.

Despite Tony’s best efforts, they got a few hits in. But it was when the blade sliced across his arm, making him swear out loud, that things changed. Simon was there, shoving the guy away from Tony, and then there was the feel of power in the air seconds before a furious voice shouted “Enough!”

Tony looked up from Simon’s arms in just enough time to watch as Jace came marching in, a furious look on his face and Clary on his heels. Which explained the portal energy; Tony had heard how she’d made a portal rune.

The two of them marched into the diner like they owned the place, seraph blades in hand and dark looks on their faces. Those only grew worse when Tony and the Shadowhunters stumbled apart, and they caught sight of Tony. The worry that flashed over Clary’s face told Tony he probably looked a sight at the moment. The throbbing and wetness he could feel on the left side of his face only backed that.

Whereas Clary looked worried, Jace looked livid. “Marcus, Thom,” he snapped out making the two Shadowhunters snap up to attention. “Mind explaining to me what exactly happened here?”

“Thom and I were just having breakfast,” the older Shadowhunter said, a sneer briefly curling his lips as his eyes shot to Tony and then back to Jace. “The warlock came over and started antagonizing us.”

“The warlock has a name,” Clary snapped at them.

Simon chose that moment to turn his whole focus to Tony. He both dragged him back a few steps and started to check him over at the same time. “Oh, man, look at you. You’re bleeding! Are you okay? I mean, of course you’re not okay, but are you hurt worse anywhere else? I tried to get back-up here quickly, but Clary took forever to answer her phone, and then they had to portal down the road, it was the closest they could get.”

The familiar flow of Simon’s babble washed over Tony. It was surprisingly soothing. Though he couldn’t relax completely, not with asshole one and two over there, Tony did allow himself to lean in a little to Simon’s embrace. “I’m fine, Angel. Tone the angst down a notch or two.” Tony said the words with warmth and teasing to them, yet he darted his eyes over to Marcus and Thom – who were half the reason he’d said them, and why he’d used _Angel_ instead of _Angelus._ All for the disgust that flashed clearly over their faces.

“Jace,” Clary said, breaking into the tension that had fallen over them all. She’d laid a hand on his arm and was darting her eyes around the diner. Tony’s glamour bubble was still up, which meant that no mundane could see them, but the waitress was coming back out with Simon and Tony’s food, and she was casting a strange look at their empty table. “Maybe we should take care of this somewhere else.”

That was how Tony found himself leaning on Simon and walking through one of Clary’s portals, stepping out of the diner…

…and into Alec’s office in the New York Institute.

It was Tony’s first trip to the Institute. He had to admit, he was a bit curious about the little Nephilim stronghold here. But there wasn’t much to see in the old-fashioned, fancy office. Especially not when he realized that not only was Alec there…

So was Magnus.

Tony fought back the urge to wince as Magnus’ eyes landed on him. The two men seemed to have been sharing their own breakfast together by the couch and chairs in the far edge of the office. The older warlock took one look at Tony and then he was rising up from his seat hurrying forward with a single-minded focus. “What happened?”

“I’m all right,” Tony tried to reassure him. He wasn’t all that surprised that Magnus ignored him, fingers snapping and magic flaring up before he’d even reached Tony’s side. The first touch of it against his arm had Tony hissing a little; seraph blades were always a bit harder for anyone with demon blood to heal from. More so than any other injury. Tony felt as Magnus’ magic knit it back together, and then it started to move, clearly ready to scan the rest of him. A sense of panic hit Tony at that idea. He couldn’t let Magnus scan him. Not without revealing the secret he was trying so hard to keep.

It was hard, but Tony jerked himself back from the flow of blue magic. “Maggie, seriously, I’m fine.” With everything he had, Tony worked to keep his tone easy and teasing, fighting not to let his anxiety show through.

The look Magnus gave him clearly said he didn't believe him. But, as Alec straightened up and gave a commanding “What happened?” it seemed that Magnus must’ve decided to wait to find out more, for which Tony was grateful. Still, his eyes held a warning, letting Tony know he was only letting go of this for a moment. Even though Tony was an adult now, it was a look that never failed to make him want to hunch his shoulders and duck his head down.

“Jesus,” Simon murmured by Tony’s ear. “He’s like, scary good at that dad-look, isn’t he?”

Tony leaned a bit more against his friend and lowered his voice to a murmur no one without enhanced hearing would be able to hear. “Trust me, Lewis – you’ve got _no_ idea.”

The sharp snap of Alec’s question had brought the Shadowhunters jerking a bit more to attention despite themselves. It seemed that they couldn’t help but listen, even to a _‘demon-loving fag_ ’. Neither seemed all that willing to answer, though.

That was fine. Jace didn’t have a problem starting them out. Arms still crossed over his chest, and voice hard, he glared at the two as he spoke up. “Simon called up Clary and told us there were some Shadowhunters causing trouble. We weren’t far away, so Clary portaled us over. We found these two fighting with Tony in the middle of a mundane diner. We didn’t see any magic being used, but we definitely saw their seraph blades.”

That had fire springing to life in Magnus’ eyes. His trademark smirk was gone. In its place was a flat look that was far more dangerous than these idiots seemed to realize.

Alec didn’t look any happier. When the younger one – Thom, wasn’t it? – opened his mouth to speak, Alec held a hand up to silence him. Then, to their clear shock and annoyance, he turned to Tony. Though his gaze was still hard, there was something about Alec that softened just a little. “Tony?”

Tony hadn’t been idle this whole time. He’d been trying to think about how to spin this ever since Jace and Clary had first broken things up. The urge to downplay it was strong; the last thing Tony wanted was to cause a bunch of trouble. He definitely didn’t want to repeat some of the choice words that had been used. But at the same time, this was about more than him. If these two weren’t dealt with, they’d just be back out on the street again harassing someone else. Someone who might not be able to protect themselves the way that Tony could, or who didn’t have the connections that Tony did to get this brought to the attention of the Head of the Institute.

With all that in mind, Tony chose his words very carefully. “Simon found a new diner for us to try, so we met up there for breakfast. When we sat down in our booth, I happened to notice two assholes staring pretty hard at Simon. They weren’t even bothering to hide their disgust. So, I went to ask them what their problem was.”

“Of course you did,” Magnus muttered, closing his eyes briefly and shaking his head.

Tony let a half-smirk curve one side of his mouth. Then he shrugged one shoulder. “What? I wasn’t gonna sit there through breakfast with them trying to burn holes in his back. So I asked them what their problem was, and was met with a whole lot of speciest bullshit. I took offense.”

“He tried to attack us!” Thom blurted out hotly. Marcus tugged him back, but it was too late, his words echoed around the office.

There was no chance for Tony to defend himself. Simon beat him to it. “No he didn’t! He was working hard _not_ to attack you guys!”

One of Tony’s hands came up to lay soothingly on Simon’s arm. He kept him quiet with a touch, never taking his eyes off of the others. “I was annoyed enough my hands sparked, that’s all. They took it as an open threat and retaliated.”

Only two people in the room knew enough to know what it meant for Tony’s hands to spark. Magnus knew Tony’s control. He knew magic intimately as well, and he knew that it took a lot for Tony’s temper to get so far away from him that it manifested in his magic. And Alec – one look told Tony that Alec probably knew that as well, at least where Magnus was concerned, and was applying those same standards to this moment now.

The anger in Alec’s eyes was easy to see. Marcus and Thom no doubt knew just how much trouble they were about to get into.

Their knowledge of their clearly coming punishment must’ve been enough to finally break Marcus’ control. Instead of holding Thom back, he was standing up straighter now and was meeting Alec’s glare with one of his own. “Are you seriously gonna believe him over us?” he demanded.

Alec didn’t give him the satisfaction of responding to that. He stood taller, hands hooked behind his back, and the look he was wearing was imposing. Tony privately admitted that definitely wasn’t a face he’d want to meet across a boardroom table, or out on a battlefield. He was reminded at that moment that Alec might be Magnus’ shy and sweet boyfriend, and he might be behind a desk a lot now, but he was still a Shadowhunter. He’d been trained to be a warrior since he was old enough to walk.

“I’ll deal with the two of you later,” Alec told them. “Maybe some time down in the cells will help you remember who exactly you are and what our purpose as Shadowhunters is supposed to be. Surrender your steles. If you’re lucky, you might get them back in the morning.” Without waiting for them to do what they were told, he turned to Jace and Clary. “Will you two escort them down there?”

“Gladly,” Jace said.

Tony stayed against Simon’s side as the two men were escorted out of the room by Jace and Clary. The furious looks sent his way didn’t faze him. Tony just tilted his chin up and kept himself calm and controlled as they walked away. Only when the door shut behind them did Tony allow himself to slump a little against his friend. In response, Simon curled his arm better around Tony and drew him in close.

For the first time, Tony realized just how much he’d been cuddling with Simon through all this. It said a lot about how far they’d come as friends, really. For as touchy as Tony was with his family, he was always stingier with his friends, too afraid of being rejected. It was a sign of trust and affection for Tony to allow himself to lean like this, to seek out the touch he always wanted and to let it be given to him.

Tony wasn’t the only one to relax once the door shut. Alec did as well. His shoulders slumped a bit, and his eyes softened, turning to concern as they fixed on Tony. “Are you all right?”

“Fit as a fiddle,” Tony answered immediately. He managed a soft smile; the one reserved for family. “I’m fine, Alec. I’ve dealt with worse than a couple of dickheads.”

Simon sighed and shook his head. “You shouldn’t let them antagonize you. It wasn’t worth that, Tony.”

“So I’m supposed to just sit back and let them be assholes?” Tony tilted his face up towards Simon and arched an eyebrow at that. “I’ve never been good at that. Their bullshit isn’t on me – I wasn’t the prejudiced one. I just called them on it. We shouldn’t have to sit through an uncomfortable breakfast just because we don’t want to risk pissing off the prejudiced fucks nearby. If they’ve got the right to sit and glare at us just for being Downworlders, I’ve got the right to say something about it.”

That ‘leave it alone’ mindset had always driven Tony crazy. Not just in this situation, but in any situation where prejudice happened. Why was it that people were always advised to keep their heads down and to not antagonize the jerks out there? Sure, Tony knew the _logical_ reasons, the ones of safety. But it shouldn’t be like that. No one should have to keep their mouth shut like that for fear of being hurt, or worse.

To Tony, keeping quiet felt like giving silent permission for people to continue treating him like that. There were so many people out there who _couldn’t_ risk saying something. They weren’t able to defend themselves from what might happen if they spoke up. But Tony? Tony _could_. He could defend himself, and he was damn well going to speak up in those situations. If people like Tony didn’t speak up, how on earth was anything ever going to change?

“What did they say to you to upset you so badly?” Alec asked, breaking into Tony’s thoughts.

That question had him fighting back the urge to wince. “Nothing that bears repeating,” Tony said firmly. Like hell if he was going to repeat those words to Alec.

The heavy sigh that Alec gave and the way his shoulders slumped made it clear he at least suspected some of it. That was fine, though. Tony didn’t have to confirm those suspicions. He wasn’t going to be responsible for putting those words in Alec’s ear. No one should ever have to put up with being talked about like that. Better he be upset at what he suspected than actively hurt by hearing the actual words.

Magnus moved to stand at Alec’s side, one hand coming out to curl over his shoulder. Whatever he murmured was too low for Tony to pick up on.

The atmosphere of the room was quickly getting too dark. This hadn’t been how Tony had wanted to spend his morning, and he wasn’t going to let those two prejudiced bastards ruin the rest of his day, too. This was _Sunday_. Sunday’s were meant for morning breakfasts with Simon, and maybe afternoon shopping trips with him and Isabelle, or lazily lounging around the loft for the day until it was time for family dinner. Tony wasn’t going to let that be ruined.

“Listen,” he said, patting a hand over Simon’s arm and then straightening up. Tony pushed his own feelings down and brought up the best smile that he could muster. “I’m not gonna lie. Those two? They were assholes. Prejudices, homophobic, speciest assholes. But guys like that are a dime a dozen, and while it’s not fun to deal with them, we don’t have to let them ruin our whole day, right? Now, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m _starving_ , seeing as how we were interrupted before I even got to eat my waffles. Come on, Lewis.”

Even as Tony grabbed Simon’s arm with one hand – his other going up to call up a portal – Magnus was shooting him a look of warning. “We’re talking about this later, Anthony.”

“That’s what _you_ think!” Tony called out in a sing-song voice.

The last thing he heard as he drug Simon through the portal was Alec’s voice asking “How on earth did he make a portal in here?”

* * *

Tony was reminded yet again why he’d come to enjoy Simon’s company, and why the young vampire had become one of his closest friends. Not once through their breakfast-part-two did Simon bring up anything that had happened that morning. He didn’t comment on it when Tony used a bit of magic to clean up the blood and repair his clothes, nor did he say anything about it when Tony just left the bruising on his face to heal on its own. Even without actively using magic to heal it, the marks would heal faster than normal, his magic repairing things from the inside out.

They had a great breakfast at one of their favorite cafes, and they met up later with Isabelle for an afternoon of shopping. Isabelle didn’t mention the morning’s fight, either, and Tony was pretty sure she knew about it. The way she side-eyed him now and again made that clear.

Work called Tony away for the afternoon. There was a problem at SI down in R&D that needed more than just a phone call to square away.

Unfortunately, what he found when he got there was a half-blown up lab floor, three new cyber-attacks that JARVIS had fought off, and a whole bunch of traumatized interns. It took most of the afternoon for Tony to put things to rights again. He had to calm down the interns – who, really, if they couldn’t handle an explosion or two, why were they working _here_?? – get things set up to start repairs on the lab, find out _why_ exactly there’d been an explosion, and then coordinate with JARVIS to find out who’d been dumb enough to try and hack them.

The fact that it was both Hammer Industries and SHIELD didn’t exactly come as a surprise. Tony took vindictive pleasure in making sure that Hammer got a giant middle-finger out of his efforts – literally. Tony and JARVIS hacked into Hammer Industries and sent every monitor in the building the image of a middle finger while Lily Allen sang “Fuck You, fuck you very, very mu-u-u-uch” loud and clear. Then he had JARVIS make sure to get video of Justin’s reaction when he found out about it.

For SHIELD, well, it was always better to control the flow of information that they got, and to make sure that they continued to think he was weaker than he really was. So, per orders, JARVIS had stopped their main attack, but he’d let them get away with just a little bit of information. Information that he and Tony had decided on a while ago.

All in all, it meant that Tony was more than a little tired when JARVIS gave him the reminder of family dinner.

Tony was still sitting in his office at SI when JARVIS reminded him. Bringing one hand up, he rubbed it over his face. “Right. Dinner.” Honestly, that was the last thing he wanted to deal with at the moment. Food didn’t sound appealing. Nor did spending an evening trying to pretend like he didn’t feel sick. Which, if Tony were honest with himself, he’d been feeling more and more as the day progressed.

A tap of his finger against the screen sent most of his work down to the bottom. “Bring up the mirror.”

The first glimpse Tony got of his face had him grimacing. Oh yeah, going to dinner like this would be a _great_ idea.

The bruises from earlier were gone, thankfully, but Tony didn’t actually look all that much better. His skin had a sickly pallor that Magnus would be able to see a mile away. There was the start of bruising under his eyes that usually didn’t show up until he was hitting the three-day mark with no sleep, and he wasn’t close to that yet. He was nauseous, too, which was, unfortunately, something that he’d started to grow used to.

With heavy fingers, Tony snapped up the medical scanner. He held it in front of him for a moment before pressing his finger down on the pad. The familiar prick barely even registered. Tony’s attention was too focused on the small readout.

What finally flashed there was enough to send a heavy ball of dread deep in his gut. “Fuck.” This was his highest reading yet. Apparently, all the magic he’d used today had taken its toll.

_Blood toxicity 64%._

His toxicity levels consistently fluctuated, but there it hadn’t escaped Tony and JARVIS’ notice that the numbers were steadily climbing higher. They no longer dipped below thirty, and now it would seem they were reaching up to the sixties as well. No matter what Tony did, no matter how much he limited his magic usage, his toxicity levels were still rising.

 _You know what you need to do,_ a voice in Tony’s head scolded him. It sounded disturbingly like Raphael. _Don’t be stupid. Tell Magnus!_

But… the idea of telling Magnus only made that lead ball in Tony’s stomach grow. He needed to tell him. He knew he did. It was just – if Tony was right, if his worries were right, then it wasn’t going to be just Tony’s magic that would speed up the process. The poison was tied too tightly to Tony’s magic now. It was too much a part of him. So much so that Tony’s own magic was helping to kill him. Tony had a sinking suspicion that it was going to prove the same for _any_ magic. After all, healing magical wounds was one of the most difficult things out there.

What would he gain out of telling Magnus? Or anyone?

 _Help_ , he knew JARVIS would point out. He’d have help in trying to figure out a way to fix this. While they might not be able to help him come up with the element necessary to replace the palladium, they might be able to help slow down his symptoms. Or maybe even figure out a way to heal his magic.

It was the thought of the fear in their eyes that held him back. Tony knew how much it would terrify Magnus to think about potentially losing Tony. How much it would destroy him if he did.

Sighing, Tony tossed the medical scanner down onto the counter. Then he brought a shaky hand up to rub at his face. “How am I supposed to tell them, J? They shouldn’t have to… to panic about this with me. Can’t I just… enjoy what time we have left together?”

“Sir,” JARVIS’s voice was low, just a barely-there murmur that had soothed Tony through so much. It was there now, wrapping around him, holding him together as he stared down at the numbers that ruled his life. “If it were any of them that were sick, would you wish to be kept in the dark? Or would you wish to help in any way possible?” He paused, letting those words sink in, and then gently added: “Would you be able to live with the guilt after they died, knowing that you never saw what was wrong until it was too late and that you did nothing to help?”

Those words were like a fist to the gut. Tony actually laid a hand over his stomach, bending slightly and closing his eyes against the rush of pain. “Dirty pool, Jarv.”

“I’m only looking out for your best interests, sir.”

Tony summoned up a smile. “I know.”

“The rest of the family would do the same if you’d let them, sir. They have your best interests at heart as well.”

Closing his eyes, Tony sighed out a breath. He knew that. He knew that his family cared about him and that they’d help him if only he’d let them know what was going on. But he just… he couldn’t. He couldn’t bring himself to do that to them. Not yet. Not until Tony was absolutely sure that no element he was studying would be able to replace the one in his chest. If that didn’t work out… then he’d tell them.

Determination had Tony sitting up straighter. When he spoke, his voice was steady again, with that hint of steel to it that life had hammered into him. “Jarv, send Magnus a message and let him know some things came up, a few explosions at work, and a time-sensitive project I can’t ignore. Tell him I’m sorry, I won’t make it tonight, but I’ll be there next Sunday. An tell him…” Pausing, Tony took a deep breath, and he hoped more than anything that he was about to do the right thing here. “Tell him that, if I haven’t figured out my project by then, I might need his help.”

With those words, Tony was committing himself. JARVIS wouldn’t let him back out of this.

“Are you sure, sir?” JARVIS asked hesitantly.

Sighing again, Tony nodded. “Yeah. If I don’t have it figured out by then, and with the rate the toxicity levels are increasing… I’ll need all the help I can get.”

Tony was sure he was imagining it, but JARVIS almost sounded _proud_ as he told him “Of course, sir. I’ll relay your message at once.”

With that taken care of, and a new one-week time limit on his plate, it was time for Tony to stop sulking in his office and start getting to work.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thanks to shiny_starlight for taking a look at this, you amazing being you. :D I hope you guys like this, and sorry about the wait! enjoy the bit of angst, ton of fluff, and potential tears?

What came next was a blur of days like Tony hadn’t seen since finals week back at MIT. If he was only going to have one week to try and come up with something or else risk having to tell his family, he was going to make the most of it. Make use of every hour, every minute, and not waste any of it. There was no way Tony was going to go to his family until he’d exhausted every single possibility that he could do while alone.

And that was just what Tony did.

Sleep became something that was grabbed in short bursts here and there, usually while collapsed on top of something or curled into a ball on his workshop couch. Meals were remembered only because JARVIS wasn’t above threatening to shut off the power until Tony actually ate _something_. Plus, since Tony was mostly working, he was using fairly little magic, which meant it wasn’t too big a deal to snap something from upstairs to downstairs so that he could eat while he worked.

There were a few times he had to take a break to handle some important things for SI and for the upcoming Expo. Paperwork had to be signed, phone calls handled, and Pepper appeased. She wasn’t happy with him holing up to work on some ‘big project’ that he wouldn’t tell her the details of, especially not when she felt there were so many other things he should be focusing on.

To Tony’s surprise, his family and other friends were handling it a whole lot better. Magnus must’ve spread the word around that Tony was going to be busy because no one pestered him to come out for drinks, or shopping, or for meals, or anything like that. Though they didn’t let it stop them from texting him.

When Tony paused at one point on Wednesday – or was it Thursday? He wasn’t quite sure anymore – to eat some dinner, he found _thirty-seven_ messages waiting for him on his phone. All of which had been left within the last twelve hours.

None of them was anything important. Some were just Snapchat notifications from Simon – he loved sending ridiculous pictures and things Tony’s way, to which Tony usually responded with equally ridiculous Snaps back. Isabelle sent him funny stories or pictures from the Institute. She’d recently really gotten into texting, and Tony got a lot of gifs and selfies from her, as well as candid shots of Alec, Jace, and Clary, and even sometimes Magnus. Clary at least texted like a normal person, though she did tend to like to send those motivational memes his way.

And Magnus? Well, there was no real way to describe Magnus and texting. He’d send little texts sometimes, just a blurb that let the person he was messaging know that he was thinking about them. Or he’d send pictures – himself, Alec, Chairman Meow, Madzie, a Snap of the restaurant they were at, a taunt for his plate of food or a good cocktail. But he was also a _dick_ who liked to send Tony texts where every _word_ was in a different language, and Tony would have to try and mentally work his way through it all to translate it.

All in all, it made Tony’s breaks a bit more entertaining, scrolling through his phone to read and look at those. Sometimes he had JARVIS read them off while he was working, or pull up a hologram of the pictures that Tony was sent. And he sent off a few of his own, just to make sure they all knew that Tony wasn’t dead. Literally. He had JARVIS take a picture of him with a coffee cup in one hand, wearing a shirt he’d had on for far more days than he probably should’ve, and a wide grin, with a caption over it that said ‘Not dead!’ Then Tony had him send it to everyone.

There was no telling how long Tony might’ve actually worked for – the days had all begun to blend together by then – if JARVIS hadn’t taken advantage of Tony crashing on the couch again to go ahead and shut down access to most of the workshop. The mumbled “Wake me up in…” that Tony tried to get out before he fell asleep was garbled enough that JARVIS chose to deny understanding it.

That was why Tony didn’t wake up until almost seventeen hours later.

Sleep reluctantly let him go. Tony woke up in a position that was really all too familiar; he knew without even opening his eyes that he was asleep on his couch. It was comfortable - great for short naps, bad for long hours. Just rolling to his back was enough to make some aches spring to life. “God, I’m too old for this” was what Tony meant to say. What came out was a garbled mess of words that not even JARVIS was talented enough to translate.

“Good afternoon, sir,” JARVIS greeted him. His voice was low, an easy volume that didn’t make Tony’s head throb any worse than it already was. “You’ve been asleep for sixteen hours and forty-two minutes. It’s twelve fifteen, Sunday afternoon, and the weather today is warm here, though it is overcast in New York. I’d recommend taking a jacket with you this afternoon. No urgent calls are waiting for you. But, if you can lift yourself from the couch, coffee has been prepared at the far side of the lab, and a fresh change of clothes are waiting in the bathroom.”

Though Tony didn’t open his eyes, he did let a sleepy smile curve his lips. “Y’r the bes’,” he mumbled. Coffee sounded amazing. So did food. And… a quick sniff told him that, yeah, a shower should really be on the agenda, too. He wasn’t quite sure when the last time he had one was.

Getting up from the couch was an adventure. Tony’s joints felt old and creaky, his mouth and throat felt like the desert, and sweet mother of God, his head was spinning! For a moment Tony had to sit there with his head in his hands trying to breathe through the dizziness. When it didn’t vanish – instead, twisting and turning his stomach into the kind of knots Tony was way too familiar with – his aching body suddenly gained the ability to move again. Tony made it across the workshop and into the bathroom in just enough time to empty his stomach into the toilet.

As Tony lay there, head pressed against the cool seat, he was once more grateful for the fact that he could make that run in just about any condition. It was a hard-won skill born of a need to stop cleaning vomit off the ground.

One shower and a full pot of coffee later, and Tony finally felt like maybe he might qualify as human again.

“Too bad I don’t look it, too,” Tony grumbled at the mirror. He tilted his head a little to better study his face from all directions. “Well, I wasn’t sure how I was gonna tell them, but I’d say this’ll do the job. All they’re going to have to do is take one look at me.”

“I believe they might still require some sort of explanation, sir,” JARVIS pointed out.

Tony huffed out a breath. “Can’t I just, I don’t know – bring a cake?”

“A cake?”

“Yeah.” Tony nodded, reaching out to grab his toothbrush and hold it under the toothpaste dispenser. “You know, one of those nice, store-bought cakes with the messages on top.”

“And what would you have the cake say, sir? _Sorry, I’m dying_?”

The sass in JARVIS’s voice had Tony grinning around his toothbrush. JARVIS was a lot more talkative when there was no one else around to hear but Tony. He was also a lot sassier, with a sense of humor as dry as the desert. “ _Sorry_ sounds better than _Congratulations_ , I figured.”

There was no denying the sound that JARVIS made at that was a sigh.

By the time Tony was done brushing his teeth and had put on clean clothes, he was more exhausted than he’d expected to be. The aching feeling in his joints hadn’t gone away, nor had the nausea. If anything, they were a bit worse and had brought some friends along to the party. Luckily, Tony was used to functioning drunk, so the dizziness and slightly blurred vision weren’t anything he couldn’t handle.

“Sir,” JARVIS sounded worried, and slightly hesitant, a combination that Tony had heard before yet never liked hearing from his AI. “Perhaps you should ask your _babbo_ to make the portal for you?”

Tony scoffed at him. “And make him worry right from the get-go? _Please_. I can make a portal, JARVIS. I’ve barely done any magic for days. It’s not gonna be a problem.”

Really, by that point in his life, Tony should’ve known better than to tempt fate by saying something like that. When had fate ever backed down from a challenge? But he could admit later that he probably wasn’t thinking at his clearest at that moment. He should’ve just messaged Magnus and asked for him to open a portal. Or, barring that, he should’ve stopped when he started to call up his magic, and the nausea tried to crawl its way up his throat. But Tony Stark was nothing if not stubborn.

He got the portal open, grinning triumphantly as he did. That grin lasted only long enough for Tony to step through the portal…

…and into Magnus’ living room. The instant he did, Tony was on his knees, his body making the decision without any input from his mind, and Tony had just enough time to fling his hands out to keep himself from face-planting. It was a good thing, too, because the nausea he’d been feeling was making itself known, pushing its way up his throat. Tony heard the thump of footsteps, a voice calling out “Well look who showed up early,” and then it all faded away as his back arched and his body forcefully rebelled and emptied, bringing back all the coffee he’d managed to drink before.

“Anthony!”

Tony groaned as he braced hard against the ground and tried to keep himself from falling right down into a pile of sick. From the special watch on his wrist, he caught JARVIS’s dry, mocking tone. “Oh yes, sir. I see your point. This will worry him so much less.”

 _Bite me_ , Tony wanted to growl out. Only his stomach was heaving again, and the force of it was making every ache come screaming to life in a way that had him moaning before he could stop it.

A hand to Tony’s shoulder kept him from pitching forward when his arms wobbled. That hand pressed firmly there and then slid, moving across his chest until it was on his opposite shoulder, a sturdy arm bracing him in the space above his arc reactor and below his throat. At the same time, a warm body pressed against his side, and the familiar sensation of magic began to crackle against his skin. Tony didn’t fight it; he let himself sink into the feel of Magnus’ body against his. Let it support him just as it had plenty of times before.

Maybe it was cowardly, a cheap way to do what should be done with careful words, but Tony didn’t bother trying to resist as Magnus ran healing magic over his body – though the older warlock was careful to keep it away from the arc reactor. The last thing they needed was for Tony to react as he had when Catarina had tried to get near it. Tony let it run through the rest of him, knowing that, as he did, it would uncover the secret he’d been trying so hard to keep.

There was the sound of a sharp breath being sucked in, and then Magnus was drawing him closer. “Oh, my boy. My sweet, _idiotic_ boy. What have you done to yourself?”

The urge to vomit was slowly fading with each pulse of Magnus’ magic. It took the nausea and pushed it back until Tony could finally stop retching. As it faded, Tony slumped even more. His hip dropped down to rest against the ground with a hard, jarring thud. At the same time, his upper half was carefully gathered up until he was leaning in the space between Magnus’ spread knees. The older warlock was squatting, which gave Tony a firm thigh to curl over. It left him with a sensation of being completely surrounded.

The smell of sick vanished with another pulse of magic. Gone as if it’d never been there. Tony didn’t bother opening his eyes to check. He just sighed heavily. _No more hiding._ Turning his head, Tony pressed his face in against Magnus’ shirt, breathing in the calming scent from it. “Well, that wasn’t how I planned on bringing this up,” he rasped out.

Magnus huffed lightly. The hand that had been healing him moved now to settle on his hair. “I would imagine not.”

“I was going to buy a cake.”

He could actually _feel_ Magnus’ disbelief. “A… cake?”

“An awesome cake,” Tony clarified. He let out a shaky sigh, sinking in a little more as the aches faded to a more manageable level.

“Well, as delicious as that sounds, it appears we’ll have to do this the old-fashioned way. We’re going to get you cleaned up and settled comfortably in bed, and then we’re going to do this strange thing called _talking_. Though you often act like you’re not, I’m quite sure you’re familiar with it,” Magnus said dryly.

If Magnus expected Tony to argue – which was likely – he got a surprise when Tony just sighed and nodded. “Okay.” Then, clearly surprising Magnus further, and probably making his worry grow, Tony licked his lips and quietly asked “Can Rafa be there?”

The hand in Tony’s hair gave a careful, gentle brush, fingernails lightly scraping at his scalp. When Magnus spoke, his voice was softer, gentler. “Of course, darling.”

It was a bit of a struggle to get Tony up on his feet. Though the magic had helped to make him feel better, it hadn’t taken away everything. Tony felt shaky and far too weak for comfort. Opening his own portal had probably been the stupidest thing he’d done today, no matter how good an idea it had seemed at the time. It’d taken what little energy Tony had and sapped it from him. Because of that, he had to lean heavily on Magnus just to walk from the living room to the bedroom.

Tony wasn’t surprised to find that it was the master bedroom he was taken to. Though when he looked around, he found his lips twitching. There were definite touches in here that weren’t from Magnus. The spare stele on the nightstand next to a stack of books, a sweater draped over the arm of the couch that was far too bland for Magnus’ tastes, a pair of boots just outside the bathroom door. Little traces of the Shadowhunter who had become such a part of Magnus’ life.

No sign of Alec himself, though, which prompted Tony to turn his head towards Magnus. “Where’s Alec?”

“Taking care of some paperwork to make sure we’ll be clear for dinner tonight. He’s not due for another hour or so,” Magnus answered. He turned them a little to steer both of them towards the large bed that dominated the room. “Come on, my dear. Let’s get you lying down, shall we?”

“You sure your boy’s gonna be happy with another man in your bed?” Tony couldn’t help but tease.

They reached the bed, and Magnus braced Tony up so that he could snap one hand and draw the blankets back. “Alexander is a big brother. I’m sure he’s quite used to children climbing into his bed,” Magnus said dryly.

With careful hands, Tony was gently lowered down onto the soft, silk sheets at the edge of the bed. He held his breath against the flare of pain in his joints when he did. Still, the throb around the arc reactor and the burn of his magic rolling underneath his skin had Tony letting go of Magnus with one hand to press over the worst of the ache as if that might somehow help. His other hand tightened over Magnus’ arm in a grip that was probably bruising, yet Magnus didn’t move away from him. In fact, he stepped forward, nudging his way between Tony’s knees until he stood there beside the bed at just the perfect height for Tony to lean in and let his forehead come to rest against Magnus’ chest.

“There we are, Anthony,” Magnus murmured to him. He kept his arm in place for Tony to clutch at, and his other hand came up to pet gently over Tony’s hair. “I have you. You did well, coming to me. I’ve got you now. Just rest, my little lizard. I have you.”

There were no hands Tony would trust more to catch him and keep him from falling. He let himself slump a little while his grip on Magnus’ arm relaxed. There, with his face pressed against Magnus’ shirt and vest, he just focused on breathing.

He felt Magnus move one hand, and then he was tapping away at something. Only a few seconds later he was speaking lowly. “Sheldon – listen carefully. I need you to go and wake Raphael… Yes, I’m quite aware he’s asleep, thank you. That’s why I said you need to _wake him_.” Magnus paused and then huffed out a breath that mostly sounded annoyed, though Tony could hear the hint of amusement underneath it. “He won’t kill you. Anyone else, maybe, but not you. Now, wake him up and tell him it’s an emergency, and I need him at my loft immediately. Have him text me when he’s up, and I’ll make him a portal.”

Magnus didn’t give Simon a chance to argue with him. He just hung up the phone and then tossed it behind him. It gave a low thud when it landed on the chaise.

“He’ll be here soon,” Magnus said softly, briefly cupping the back of Tony’s head. Then he was drawing his hand around to the front, curling it over Tony’s cheek and down to his neck. “Come on, Anthony, let’s get you lying down.”

“I don’t…”

“Ah.” A thumb cut off anything Tony might’ve said. Long fingers curled under his chin and Tony found his face being lifted. Golden cat eyes were watching him intently when he finally unburied his face. There was warmth on Magnus’ face, right alongside a sternness that made it more than clear he wasn’t going to take excuses, evasions, or anything else like that. “We’re going to get you comfortable, and once your brother arrives, you’re going to start explaining a few things. Until then, let me take care of you.”

One corner of Tony’s mouth curved up in a faint smile. “It’s cute how you act like you’re actually asking that.”

He watched the smirk flash over Magnus’ face. “But of course.”

Between the two of them, they got Tony lying down on the large, comfortable bed, shoes off and on the ground. They’d just got him settled when a buzz from the chaise alerted them to a text coming in. Magnus moved to check it and then gave a nod, typing out a quick reply. Raphael must be up.

Tony watched with heavy-lidded eyes as Magnus didn’t even bother to go anywhere to make his portal. He just turned himself and opened it up right there in the open space near the closet door. With his other hand, he sent a pulse of blue magic at the window, blacking it out completely. Just in time, too. The portal hadn’t been open five seconds before Raphael was landing on his feet on this side of it. His eyes were already scanning all around him in a quick, defensive sweep of the room.

When they landed on Tony, they widened, and he closed the distance between them and him in a flash. “What happened?”

Tony closed his eyes against the cool touch of Raphael’s hand smoothing over his face.

Magnus snorted. “Your brother is an idiot who has been keeping secrets. I found him on his knees throwing up after a simple portal trip. When I asked for an explanation, he asked for you.”

The bed dipped down a little underneath Raphael’s weight. Raphael sat in the small curve between Tony’s chest and legs, taking up the space created where Tony had tried to curl in on himself only to be prevented by the arc reactor pressing in too tightly. He kept his hand on Tony’s cheek, and the coolness of it felt better than Tony had expected. When it brushed against his temples, it eased some of the headache pulsing there. “Haven’t you learned not to try and keep secrets from him? He always finds out.”

“Like you’re any better,” Tony fired back tiredly.

There was the sound of movement, drawing Tony’s attention. He opened his eyes just in time to watch as Magnus took a seat on the chaise lounge, putting him close without being right on top of them. His cat eyes were watching the two intently. “Yes, yes, you’re both ridiculous and terrible at keeping secrets. Why don’t we hash that out at a later date? For now, I’d like an explanation as to why I found a substance I can’t recognize in your system and why my magic can’t clear it out. And why it’s _killing you_.”

Tension snapped through Raphael’s body. Tony found himself underneath two sharp stares. It was hard not to start squirming. _Time’s up._ He was here; there was more going back. Not when they were both looking at him and waiting for answers.

Discreetly, Tony slipped a hand forward, trying to hide it behind the blankets. He was trying to catch a bit of Raphael’s pants, only to have his brother drop his hand down and slip it around Tony’s, curling his fingers in and giving Tony an anchor to hold on to.

That touch gave Tony the strength to finally do what he needed to do.

“The human body isn’t meant to withstand high doses of heavy metals,” Tony said. He had to lick his lips to wet them enough to keep going. After all this time, admitting this out loud, it was freeing, but it was terrifying. He focused down on where his and Raphael’s hands were joined. Somehow, that made it easier to keep going. “The core of the arc reactor… it’s palladium. Ever since I put the first reactor in, it’s been pumping palladium into my system almost nonstop.”

“Shit,” Raphael breathed out. His hand spasmed over Tony’s.

Tony still didn’t look up. He wasn’t done, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to look at them as he continued. “I thought my magic would help with it, the way it usually helps to heal me from things, but it, it actually seems to be doing the opposite. The best as JARVIS and I can figure, the power in the arc reactor, once it was inside my body, truly merged with my magic. It’s like Zia Cat said – once it was _inside_ me, my magic took it and made it a part of me. But, that means…”

“…it’s poisoning your magic, too,” Magnus finished for him. His voice was low and showed a hint of the horror Tony knew he had to be feeling.

Slowly, carefully, Tony broke his hand away from Raphael. He took the hem of his shirt and drew it up, revealing the one thing he’d worked hard to keep everyone except JARVIS from seeing. He knew they’d caught sight of it when he heard their shocked breaths. Tony didn’t bother trying to look down. The image was already etched into his brain, just as those black lines were etched into his skin, growing outward from the arc reactor. The lines had started black, pushing out in small, geometric patterns away from the arc reactor, but they’d started to change recently. Bits of reddish-orange lines were coming through now as well, and they glowed ever so slightly.

Magnus pushed up off the chaise and moved towards the bed. He put a hand on Tony’s upturned shoulder, pushing against it until Tony was tipped back a little without fully laying on his back. He didn’t do well laying on his back; the arc reactor made it hard to breathe like that.

When Magnus held a hand over him – close, but not touching – Tony darted a look down. He found Magnus watching him with worry and determination on his face. “May I?”

The placement of his hand made it clear that he wasn’t going to just scan Tony. He wanted to scan around the arc reactor, too, something that no one had tried since Catarina’s disastrous attempt. But… if there were anyone that Tony and his magic might trust to get close to it, it’d be this man right here. He wasn’t as good a healer as Catarina was, but he was Tony’s father, his teacher, and his friend. Tony trusted him. Right then, that was probably more important than skill, at least when it came to this.

Still, Tony’s nerves must’ve shown through, because Raphael suddenly let out a heavy sigh while he pulled his suit jacket off, and then he was pushing at the both of them, growling out: “Move.”

He climbed right overtop of Tony with a grace that somehow managed to keep the bed from jostling all around. Then he was at Tony’s back, carefully lifting him up and then slotting himself into the empty space.

They ended with Raphael half-sitting, half-laying against a mound of pillows, with Tony pulled back between his legs and Tony’s back to Raphael’s chest. Raphael grabbed both of Tony’s hands until he could curl his fingers around Tony’s wrists. Then he bent down just enough to rest his chin on Tony’s shoulder. “Hang on, _hermanito_ ,” he murmured, voice pitched for Tony’s ears alone.

Magnus waited for Tony’s nod before he called up blue healing magic to his extended hands.

It wasn’t hard to deal with the sensation of it settling into his stomach. Tony was used to that – had felt it just moments ago. The tension didn’t start to creep up on him until the magic began to move up, towards his arc reactor. Tony’s magic began to twist and crackle inside of him, and his muscles started to tense.

He was jolted away from his staring – watching so carefully, tracking the path of the magic with his eyes – by Raphael tightening his hold and saying: “I’m warning you now, if either of you mention this to anyone, I’m going to take great pleasure in stabbing the both of you.”

Tony knew what Raphael was doing. Knew that his brother was trying to distract him. All he felt was a crushing sense of gratitude. “What, don’t want the world to know how big a cuddler you actually are?” he asked, voice a bit hoarse. When it just made Raphael hiss, Tony smirked. “I hate to break it to you, _fratello_ , but your secret isn’t as secret as you think. Simon still likes to talk about how cute we were cuddling on the couch after that first family dinner.”

“That wasn’t _cuddling_!” The way that Raphael said that word was so thick with disgust, even Magnus – who was concentrating hard, his magic just below the arc reactor now – had to crack a smile. Raphael let out another growl. “It doesn’t count when you simply pass out on whatever available surface is near. It could’ve easily been a table or a lamppost.”

The magic was brushing against the edges of his arc reactor now. Tony tensed, his fingers tightening over Raphael’s, and his magic tensed right along with him.

Raphael responded instantly. “You know, you might want to be careful what you’re willing to talk with Simon about. I have just as many stories about you as you have about me.”

As the magic crept even closer, Tony jerked, a low whine pushing against his lips. He was clutching tight to his control – to his magic. _It’s just Magnus. It’s just babbo, that’s all. It’s just Magnus. He won’t hurt me. He’d never hurt me._ Over and over Tony was repeating those words in his mind. They just… weren’t helping as much as he’d hoped they would.

“Almost done,” Magnus said, eyes still on the glow of his magic. “Just a little longer, sweetheart. Hang on a little longer.”

The grip on Tony’s hands tightened almost to the point of pain. Yet at the same time, Raphael curled in a little more, his arms shifting so that he was pressing against Tony’s biceps, his chin putting pressure against Tony’s shoulder, the firm contact not as terrifying as it probably could’ve been, but _grounding_. It anchored Tony in the here and now, keeping away the burn of memories, the taste of sand in his throat and the smell of his own blood in the air.

“You’re not there,” Raphael said. The rough edge to his voice spoke of anger. Protectiveness, for Tony. “No one’s going to hurt you here, Antonio. I’ll rip them apart if they try. No one’s taking you away from us in here. You’re at Papa’s house. There’s not a safer place to be.”

Between Raphael’s hold and his words, somehow Tony managed to keep anchored long enough for Magnus to finish his exam. But as soon as the magic faded, Tony’s whole body slumped down like a puppet whose strings had been cut. He drew in a breath that came easier than any others these past few days.

Gentle hands caught his shirt and tugged it down so that his arc reactor was covered. Then, though it embarrassed Tony as much as it soothed him, the comforter was drawn up and pulled over him. That extra layer of false protection gave Tony more comfort than it probably should’ve.

Once they were tucked in, Magnus sat down once more on the edge of the bed. The look on his face made it clear that what he’d found wasn’t anything good.

Sighing, Tony shuffled in Raphael’s grip, turning more to lay on his side. His brother didn’t protest it. He kept a hold on Tony and simply adjusted his arms around him. “It’s bad, isn’t it?” Tony asked. His voice sounded resigned, and he knew it.

“It’s not… good,” Magnus said slowly. After a moment’s debate, he seemed to finally settle on the blunt honesty they’d used so many times with each other. “The poison is in your magic. There’s power of a sort in the arc reactor that seems to have tied itself to your magic, and because of that, the poison from the palladium is affecting it just as much as it’s affecting your body. As fast as your blood naturally burns these things out, it’s being replaced, constantly pumping through you. And each time you use your magic…”

“…I’m making it worse,” Tony filled in. He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. “Yeah, JARVIS and I figured as much.”

“You’ll need to start limiting the magic you use. Emergencies only. And that means definitely not portaling anywhere.” The last part was delivered with a glare that normally would’ve had Tony shuffling.

Right then? Tony was just too tired to feel much more embarrassment.

“Can you heal it?” Raphael asked, reminding the both of them that he was still there.

Tony knew the answer before Magnus shook his head. “I can’t,” Magnus said, the lines around his eyes showing just how little he liked saying that. “And, at this point, I don’t think Catarina could, either. I might be able to whip up a potion to help delay the effects and give us more time to come up with something. But right now, our best bet is to figure out a way to remove the arc reactor itself. Once we do that, healing the damage to your body and magic would take time, yet it’d be possible.”

 _Remove the arc reactor_. Even though Tony had known that that would be the best thing to do in the long run, the idea of it terrified him. His arc reactor was a part of him. One that he hated, yes, and that brought so many bad memories with it. But… still a part of him. It was his burden and his reminder. _My penance_.

The arms around Tony got a little bit tighter. “Can you do it? Can you take it out?”

Despite how it made him flinch to hear those words – _Can you take it out? –_ Tony fielded that answer. He was the one with the most information on this, after all. “Not likely.” It was hard to say, yet he hardened his voice, refused to let it waver. “The pieces of shrapnel are too close to my heart. There’s no surgeon out there right now with the skill to remove them without doing more damage, or to do it fast enough that they won’t kill me first. We could try to do it magically, but that runs its own risk. If the magic doesn’t hold them in place just right, it could cause a major bleed. One that even Zia Cat might not be able to respond to fast enough. Even with all her skill, my current chance of survival would probably be about forty-seven percent, if we take into account the current condition of my body.”

“Those aren’t numbers I’m willing to bet the house on, not for something like this,” Magnus said.

The tension was growing more and more in Raphael with each passing moment. “So… what? We just make potions and hope for the best?”

“Right now, we make potions and give us more time to actually find a suitable answer,” Magnus shot back.

It was getting too much to just sit there. No matter how exhausted Tony was, he couldn’t just stay in the middle of them, not like this. Not while he was still feeling so out of sorts. With hands that were just a bit too trembly for his peace of mind, Tony pushed against Raphael and slowly leveraged himself up. He didn’t give either one a chance to form the protests he knew would be coming. Instead, Tony kept moving and started to speak at the same time. “My best bet is finding a new element to take the place of the palladium. So far, my tests haven’t wielded the best of results.”

Magnus’ hand helped Tony brace a little when he shifted further away from Raphael. “How many have you gone through?”

Tony didn’t answer until he was fully away from Raphael. He sat down near the end of the bed and tried to keep them from seeing just how tired his body really was. Judging by the way that Magnus kept a hand on his arm, his thumb gently stroking over Tony’s bicep, it was clear that he at least saw through it. Still, he let Tony sit there and didn’t call him out on it.

“A lot,” Tony finally said. He grimaced. “The results haven’t been all that great.”

“How long have you known?”

The sharp question from Raphael had Tony wanting to flinch. He’d been waiting for that; had known it would come. It hurt, to watch as Raphael sat himself up, as he looked at Tony with sharp eyes that saw way more than Tony wanted them to. Faced with that, and with the very still form of Magnus beside him, there was no way Tony could lie. “Back in the caves.” At their stunned looks, Tony shrugged, trying to hide his discomfort, and he drew away a little more from Magnus’ touch. “What? You think I’d stick something in my body without knowing everything I could about it and what it might do to me? I knew the risk the instant I thought about making it. But I didn’t exactly have much of a choice. It was either that or keep carrying around the _car battery_ I was hooked up to.”

His cocky tone probably wasn’t the smartest choice. Tony saw the fire that leapt to life in Raphael’s eyes, and he knew what was coming. Knew that his brother wasn’t going to be able to hold back his temper anymore.

He wasn’t wrong.

“You knew?” Raphael hissed at him. He sat up straighter, glaring at Tony across the bed and ignoring Magnus, who was still seated off to the side, right at the middle of them. “You knew this whole time, and you said _nothing_? _Idiota_!”

As always, being faced with Raphael’s temper only managed to fire up Tony’s. He was one of the few people out there that Tony knew he didn’t have to be afraid of – ever. “Don’t get snippy with me. I thought I could handle it.”

Raphael sneered at him. “Oh, yeah, I can see how well that worked, _pendejo_. An how’s it coming along for you?”

The fact that he wasn’t wrong only served to irritate Tony further. Maybe he should’ve told them from the start. Maybe Raphael was right. But Tony just… he couldn’t… This was his life, dammit. His _heart_. With fire in his eyes, Tony shoved up off the bed, not even realizing as he cut Magnus off. For the moment their father figure was ignored; neither boy paid any attention to him. All their focus was on each other when Tony paced away and then spun back around. “It’s my body, Rafa! It’s _my_ choice what happens to it!”

“You think we don’t deserve to know something like this?” Raphael pushed himself off the bed, opposite the side Magnus was now rising from, and he glared fiercely at Tony. “That we, what? Wouldn’t help you?”

“I didn’t _want_ your help!” Tony shouted back. He could see the way his words hit them; how they made Raphael reel back the slightest bit like they’d been a physical blow. Then, hurt hit his eyes, almost instantly shuttered behind his mask. He opened his mouth to say something no doubt cutting, only for Tony to cut him off. Now that the door had been opened, and the words were coming, there was no way Tony could stop. “I didn’t want you guys to try and figure this out. I didn’t want anyone to come near this, to try and, and take it away. This is _my_ body. Mine! And I’m damn tired of someone else getting to choose what happens to it!”

A low, painful sound came from Magnus, a softly breathed out “ _Oh_ ” that showed just how much Tony’s words had hurt.

Tony didn’t pay any attention. He spun, pacing away from them, not even noticing as he wrapped his arms around his own waist in some semblance of comfort. All the fear he’d been living with, all the _what-if_ ’s and _maybe’s_ that had been circling through his brain, he’d been left to deal with alone. Now that he was here with them, there was no hiding from it. Not anymore.

“I went into those caves, and I came out with this, this stupid thing in my chest. I didn’t _ask_ for it.” Spinning back around, Tony shot them a glare, pinning the two men in place. Words that he’d felt, yet hadn’t been able to say, ripped their way up his throat and fell past his lips, and he couldn’t stop them. “They took away _everything_ in there! They stripped away who I was, who I’d made myself. They took away my life, my friends, my _body_. I didn’t… I couldn’t _choose_ anything in there. They chose when I ate, when I slept, when I _breathed_. So fucking excuse me for thinking that maybe, just maybe, I could choose when I wanted someone to know about _this_.”

Before they could say anything, Tony spun around and marched away, slamming the bedroom door behind him when he left.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here, have some talking and feelings :D

Tony’s hand shook far more than he was comfortable with as he poured himself a drink from Magnus’ drink cart. Normally, it was something he would snap up for himself, but right now he was still far too shaky to even think about using his magic for anything. He was barely even steady enough to pick up the decanter and pour his glass. The only thing that kept him from spilling was years of practice at pouring while already drunk.

The panic was still licking at Tony’s insides in a way that threatened to steal the last bit of his control. His legs trembled underneath him. The anger that had carried him out here lasted long enough for Tony to stumble to the balcony. Once out there, his legs melted underneath him, and Tony sank down onto the chaise.

Oh God, _oh God_ , this hadn’t been how he’d wanted this to go. Tony had just wanted to come here and finally let go of the burden of carrying this all by himself. He’d deliberately avoided thinking about how angry or upset his family might be.

 _Smart move_ , he scolded himself sarcastically. _That worked out real well, didn’t it?_

With a trembling hand, he brought his glass up and drained half of it in one go. His empty stomach roiled a little at the burn of the alcohol, and his sore throat throbbed a bit, yet Tony welcomed that pain. It helped distract him from everything else.

Little shudders started to run their way through him. Tony blew out a breath and drew his arms in closer. He hated how weak he felt right then. How fucking _tired_. Being healed by Magnus had helped, but it’d only taken away some of the nausea, of the achiness and that feeling of having a really bad case of the flu. Or, at least, what Tony assumed the flu felt like. Either way, Magnus had healed most of that, the parts that he could, but it hadn’t taken away the exhaustion or the lack of energy. Those were likely just as much to do with the palladium as it was due to just how little sleep he’d gotten this past week.

The wards around the apartment building shifted a little in a way that Tony recognized. Alec was home. He was coming up the stairs, and he wasn’t alone.

Tony took a deep breath. A quick check with magic – which made his head spin just a little – showed that Magnus and Raphael were still back in the bedroom. Arguing, if Tony had to bet judging by the way Magnus’ magic felt.

That meant it fell on Tony to play host. While he’d committed to telling his closest family about what was going on, he was still on the fence about letting _everyone_ know. The last thing Tony wanted was to have everyone babying him. That meant that, at least for now, Tony had to gather himself and draw on the control that had gotten him this far in life. He hated it – hated every second of it as he pushed up to his feet and fought to steady his shaking hands and keep his knees from melting underneath him. And he really, really hated it as he schooled his face into a mask that kept everything hidden. He wasn’t meant to wear those kinds of masks here. Not in this home.

But by the time Tony made his way in from the balcony, and the door opened to let in Alec and his siblings, Tony was the perfect image of the smirking playboy that he presented to the press. Not even the jeans and t-shirt he wore detracted from that image. The way he carried himself was just as strong as if he’d been wearing one of his many suits.

One hand was in his pocket and the other curled around his empty glass to hide their shaking. His aching body was forced into a precise walk that minimized the pain on his joints and turned his every move into a strut down the catwalk, and his eyes were shuttered behind sunglasses while his lips were curved into a smirk that promised both mischief and mayhem – and that he’d make you like every second of it. For the first time since meeting all of these people, it was truly _Tony Stark_ that made his way towards them.

Seeing Alec, the smirk Tony wore grew, softening only a little bit. “If it isn’t my favorite Shadowhunter.” Tony moved towards the drink cart, setting down his glass and reaching for a bottle. He turned himself enough to give Alec and his hunting outfit deliberate once over that had the guy blushing. When Tony’s eyes settled on Alec’s face once more, he winked at him. “Someone got to go play out of the office today. Looking good, handsome.”

“You’re not looking too bad yourself,” Isabelle chimed in, a smile warming her face. “Going for an engineer-chic look today?”

“Sweetheart, I can make _anything_ look good.”

A snort from Jace made his opinion clear on that. Tony only grinned even more. While he and Jace didn’t have the kind of friendship that Tony had with the other Lightwoods, they did have their own unique brand of friendship that mostly seemed to involve needling one another. Still, Tony found himself liking the brash Shadowhunter who seemed to feel so much more on the inside than he let through on the outside. He… grew on Tony. _Like a fungus_.

Tony turned himself so that his back was briefly to the others, hiding the way his hand shook while he poured a healthy splash of whiskey into his glass. Angled this way, no one saw the shaking, or the way that some of the liquid spilled over the edges.

When he turned back, his smirk was already back in place, and there wasn’t a sign of anything being wrong. Or so he thought.

Alec’s brows were furrowed a little, sharp hazel eyes ran over Tony in a quick sweep that Tony was sure saw far more than he wanted them to. To try and distract from it – and from the questions Tony could see building there – he began to talk as he made his way over to his favorite chair. “Maggie’s back in the bedroom with Raphael, but they should be out soon. At least, once the sun sets a bit more.” Tony cast a quick look at the windows and the slowly setting sun. Another twenty minutes, max, and the sun would be down. If he was lucky, Raphael would stay back in the bedroom until then and maybe, _maybe_ , cool off a little bit.

Three sets of eyes were watching when Tony dropped down into the chair. He fought not to let them see just how much it hurt to do that. To just flop down instead of sinking carefully the way his body craved. It jolted through his joints, jostling his stomach and his head in ways that made the nausea threaten to make a comeback, and a headache begin to pulse in his temples.

There was no doubt in Tony’s mind that those watching him saw far more than he’d like them to. Fortunately – or unfortunately, depending on the way Tony looked at it – no one got a chance to call him on anything. Footsteps signaled the one thing that Tony had been anxiously waiting on. He only had a moment to mentally brace before magic swept past and pulled the blackout curtains over the windows. At the same time, a few candles were lit, making sure that the loft wasn’t too dim.

Everyone else looked up to watch as Magnus walked in with Raphael on his heels, a grin on his lips and not a single sign anywhere on him that gave away anything about the argument they’d just been having. “Well don’t you look gorgeous?” Magnus said, eyeing Alec shamelessly while he strode up to him and gave him a kiss in greeting. His own masks were in place just as firmly as Tony’s were; he was smiling with his mouth and his eyes, not giving anything away. Behind him, Raphael didn’t seem to feel the need to bother at all.

Ignoring the pang in his chest at the sight of his still clearly furious brother, Tony forced it all down and instead chuckled when he saw Alec flush slightly. “That’s what I said to him!”

“Quit hitting on my boyfriend,” Magnus teased him, clearly enjoying making Alec blush just as much as Tony was.

Jace dropped down onto the couch in a heavy way that never failed to make Magnus glare at him. He grinned in response. “You better watch out, Magnus. Seems like your boy is moving in on your territory.”

“What can I say?” Magnus asked, shrugging. He leaned in against Alec and let his smile grow. “He’s clearly got good taste.”

Playful bickering started up between the Shadowhunters and Magnus. Tony might’ve enjoyed playing it up at any other time, but at the moment he was fighting too hard not to stare over at Raphael. It wasn’t easy. Especially since Tony could _feel_ the vampire glaring his way. He fought to ignore it and not let it show just how much it hurt to have Raphael still irritated with him. _I should’ve just stayed at home,_ Tony couldn’t help but think, hiding behind his glass and taking a sip. But then again, staying at home wouldn’t have changed this, just pushed it off till a different time.

Caught up in his thoughts, Tony didn’t really pay any attention to the conversation that was starting around him. He was well practiced at letting conversation go around him and commenting vaguely without ever really taking in anything that was being said.

He wasn’t really disturbed from his spiraling thoughts until Magnus sat down on the arm of his chair. He’d angled himself so that one foot was pushed out right up against Alec’s, who had taken the edge of the couch nearest the chair. But the rest of Magus was turned towards Tony. He even draped an arm around his shoulders so that his knuckles were able to gently stroke at Tony’s jawline.

The combination of that soothing touch, the reassuring warmth of Magnus beside him, and the safety of the wards around them, were all making it harder and harder for Tony to resist the exhaustion that was still tugging at him. He barely noticed as he started to list a little to the side. Not until Jace drew his attention to it by suddenly asking “You all right, Stark?”

Even then, Tony might’ve ignored it, might’ve just given some inane automatic answer. Only… Raphael beat him to it. “He’s sick,” the vampire said clearly, irritation still easily evident in every single word. It dripped from them like poison. “And he should be in bed.”

Tony’s eyes snapped open, his whole body going taut. He wasn’t… there was no way Raphael was really going to do this… was he?

Alec, Jace, and Isabelle were all instantly on alert, their eyes going back and forth between the two. They knew about warlocks; they knew that they didn’t just _get sick_. It was Isabelle who looked at Tony – scrutinizing him, as if the answers would be written on his skin – and who asked “You’re sick?”

“By his own stupidity,” Raphael said, answering before Tony could and glaring at him once more. He was the only one still standing, and he didn’t seem to have a problem using that position to cross his arms over his chest and loom down at Tony. Even with the coffee table taking up space between them he still managed to _loom._

Fury washed over Tony at the highhandedness of this. _How dare he?_ Sitting up even straighter, Tony glared right back at him. “ _Raphael_!”

“What?” Arching one eyebrow, the giant pain-in-the-ass didn’t even pretend to look contrite despite his falsely apologetic tone. “Oh, I’m sorry, were we still keeping your impending death a secret?”

 _Damn him_! Tony did his best to ignore the gasps from around him, and even Magnus’ low, warning call of Raphael’s name. All of his focus was on his brother. Shrugging off the arm still around his shoulders, Tony pushed forward, pushing past any pain. “Shut your mouth, Raphael! Who the hell do you think you are?”

Raphael’s upper lip curled up. “If you thought I was going to help you perpetuate your lie…”

“I thought you’d show me at least a modicum of respect!” Tony snapped. He would’ve shoved himself up if Magnus hadn’t gripped his shoulder and kept him in place. Instead, Tony was forced to clench his hands in the edge of the couch cushion. Temper had his eyes flashing with just a hint of their usual red. It was a sign of just how pissed off he truly was. “How many times do I have to say this to get it through your thick fucking skull? This is _my body_ \- you don’t get to decide what happens to it, or who gets to know about it.” Lifting a hand, Tony jabbed a finger towards his own chest. “I do – _me_ , not you! You can stand there with that stick up your ass and preach to the world all about how your snot-nosed little brother dared to keep a secret from you all you want. I won’t stop you. But don’t you dare think it gives you the right to decide who gets to know what about my body. You wanna pull that bullshit, you can turn around and walk right out the door!”

The hand on Tony’s shoulder tightened briefly. He felt it as Magnus pushed up to his feet, and then he was between the two, one hand still on Tony’s shoulder and the other extended towards Raphael. “All right, that is enough.” he snapped at the two of them. There was an edge to his voice that made it more than clear this wasn’t a request. Neither Raphael nor Tony were stupid enough to try and argue. They knew better. They both stayed silent as Magnus let his eyes go back and forth between the two of them. “You two are brothers – I expect you to act like it. You,” he shot a glare Raphael’s way. “Go to the kitchen and start a pot of tea, the green striped canister. And I expect you to have found some respect while you’re in there.”

Though it visibly shocked the three Shadowhunters who were silently watching, Raphael growled, but he spun on his heel and vanished in the direction of the kitchen.

Magnus didn’t give anyone time to say anything. He turned to Tony, and now it was Tony’s turn to try not to shuffle underneath that stern look. Magnus didn’t play ‘bad cop’ all that often, but when he did, well, it was better to just shut up and listen. “As for you – I understand why you’re angry with him, and you have that right, but you might try understanding _his_ point of view as well instead of storming off or snapping each time he gets sharp.”

Tony ducked his head down, chagrined. He had to fight not to squirm in embarrassment. Not only at being chastised like a child, but at having it happen with witnesses.

He heard Magnus sigh, and then felt it as Magnus settled back into his spot on the arm of the chair. He moved his hand back around to Tony’s opposite shoulder again and used that touch to draw him in against his side. In a low voice, he murmured “Whatever we do here, it’s your choice, darling. You decide how we proceed.”

His choice – right. That choice had been taken from him the instant Raphael opened his mouth. Hell, if he were honest, it’d been taken from him months and months ago. The instant that bomb had gone of next to him any choices about his body had been ripped away from him.

“Can I at least wait till everyone gets here? I’m not in the mood to say this more than once,” Tony said flatly.

Magnus easily nodded his agreement. Then, hesitating only briefly, he asked “Do you want me to message your Zia?”

“Might as well.” Trying not to sigh, Tony reminded himself over and over that he’d come out here with the intention of telling about this anyway. Raphael might’ve forced Tony’s hand, but he’d only really sped up the timeline.

If he was going to do this, better that everyone was there for it. He wasn’t in the mood to say this more than once.

Looking at the three that were still watching him – silent this whole time, understanding at least the need for quiet even if they didn’t know what was going on – Tony hoped they took it better than Raphael. The last thing he wanted was to get into another fight tonight. At the moment Tony barely had the strength to keep sitting here. He wasn’t sure he was up for another fight.

* * *

Twenty minutes and two cups of tea later found their group still in the living room. There were more of them, now. Catarina had shown up just moments after Magnus sent her a fire message, and Clary and Simon had arrived five minutes after her.

Now, Alec, Jace, and Clary were on the couch, Simon and Raphael were on the loveseat that Magnus summoned for them, and Isabelle and Catarina were in the two other chairs. Magnus hadn’t left his spot at the armrest of Tony’s chair. The way he settled in made it clear he wasn’t going to go anywhere, either. However, Tony had broken away from the hold the man had on him. If he was going to be forced to do this, he wasn’t going to do it cowering against Magnus like a kid.

Tony drew his metaphorical armor around himself, and Magnus – bless him – didn’t stop him. He let Tony sit up and didn’t try and stop him. Nor did he move, either. He stayed at Tony’s side as a silent support while Tony slumped back into a very calculated slouch, a smirk just barely curving one corner of his mouth. He looked at the curious faces watching him, and he hated having to do this. The snark it all came out with was instinctive; something he couldn’t have stopped if he tried.

“What my brother was so tactlessly trying to rat me out on earlier was that I’m having a few problems with the arc reactor.” Lifting one had, Tony tapped a finger against the light that was mostly hidden behind his shirts. “For those of you that don’t really know about it, let’s just say that, without this thing, tiny little pieces of metal would find their way through my veins and shred my heart to pieces – though some people might argue that I don’t have one.” He couldn’t help but let his smirk grow when he thought of the framed arc reactor at home. _Proof that Tony Stark has a heart._ “That’s not the point, though. Point is, I can’t remove the arc reactor without dying within, oh, a few hours at most. But leaving it in is killing me, too.”

There were a few sounds of shock, a sucked in breath from Simon, but for the most part no one looked away. This was a group that had been through hell. Through wars and personal attacks and all sorts of trauma. Shadowhunters, vampires, warlocks. Living in the Shadow world bred a certain type of person, no matter their species. It created warriors. Survivors. The recent war had only brought those traits further to the forefront. For them, the time to panic would come later. Right now they kept their focus on him and prepared to draw in the facts needed to work on a plan. Seeing that steadiness on all their faces was surprisingly stabilizing for Tony.

Catarina sat forward, arms on her knees and her eyes fixed on Tony. “How?”

Just one word, yet it was enough. He knew what she meant. Again, Tony tapped at the arc reactor, and then he dropped his hand down to curl around his mug of tea. “Palladium core. Which, hey, probably wouldn’t be a problem with my magic to heal me, but seeing as how the power in this thing has sort of merged with my magic when I put it in, it’s not just poisoning my body.”

“It’s poisoning your magic, too,” Isabelle filled in. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth had dropped open a little.

Clary shot a stunned look over to Magnus, who was clearly their go-to person for all questions magical. “That can happen?”

“Magic is just as much a part of us as the blood in our veins,” Magnus said. He cast a hooded look down at Tony that, to those that knew him well enough to read beyond his masks, spoke of his worry. “While we can access it outside ourselves, using ley lines, a core of it resides inside of us. While it’s not typically susceptible to such things, it _can_ happen. Besides, Anthony’s situation is… unique.”

That was one way of putting it. Tony was pretty sure there hadn’t been a warlock before who put this kind of power source inside their own body and had it merge with magic.

“Can you replace the palladium with something else?” Jace asked.

Tony scoffed at him. “Well, damn, why didn’t _I_ think of that?” he snarked. A cuff to the back of his head had Tony shooting a glare at Magnus, which was met with a calm look and an arched eyebrow. Rolling his eyes, Tony slumped down again. His tone was carefully devoid of most of its snark when he spoke again. “It’s not that simple. JARVIS and I have been running tests to try and find some element to replace the palladium, but we haven’t been able to find anything compatible. Yet.”

“And there’s no way to… to take it out?” Simon asked, bringing Tony’s attention to him. He looked far paler than normal – a feat, to be sure, for a vampire – and he was actually clutching at Raphael’s arm with hands that Tony was shocked to see were shaking just slightly. “I mean, I know it can’t be that easy, seeing as how you haven’t done it. But isn’t there some way to take the metal out of your chest so you can get rid of the arc reactor?”

It wasn’t Tony who answered that, it was Catarina. “We’ve been trying to figure out the way to best do that. So far, we haven’t come up with a solution.” Her eyes flashed, a hint of light behind the dark depths. “Apparently I need to increase my searching.”

Isabelle looked like she wanted to reach out to Tony; her hands twitched in her lap before she carefully drew them in. Over on the couch, Clary was looking at Tony with sorrow and the pity that he so hated to see, and she was rubbing at Jace’s arm. He had his own masks in place in an effort to hide whatever it was he was feeling. Simon… Simon’s expression broke Tony’s heart. The kid looked devastated and was entirely unashamed of his watery eyes. Beside him, Raphael wore a cold mask, yet the anger was gone from his eyes, softening them into that look that so few got to see.

They all looked afraid – all except Alec.

There was an aura of control around Alec that Tony himself had donned a few times, and that he knew Alec had been trained for since he was young. The man looking at Tony now was his friend, yes, but he was also a leader, one used to leading in times of great stress. From what Tony knew, he’d also been the one to take care of everyone around him multiple times, in varying situations.

Alec looked right at Tony and asked the one question that no one else seemed to have thought of. “What can we do?”

It wasn’t a half-hearted suggestion, or a plea of how to make things right. It was a simple request. _What can we do_? He was asking Tony what he wanted from them, putting the decision in his hands, and in that moment Tony knew just how much he really loved this guy.

Some of Tony’s masks melted away a little in the face of that. “There’s not really anything you can do,” he said, so much gentler than he’d been speaking so far. He even smiled at Alec. A real smile, not a smirk. “Not unless one of you is secretly a world-renowned thoracic surgeon. I just… I might not be able to tell everyone back home, but I didn’t really want to have to lie to my family.” At that last word Tony ran his eyes over everyone in the room, and then he looked down at his tea, trying to hide himself. It was the first time he’d called all of them a family outside of his head.

Warm fingers tangled in the hair at the back of Tony’s head. There was a spark of magic in that touch that drew away some of Tony’s building headache. But mostly, it sat there for comfort. “Catarina and I have already been trying to solve the problem of the shrapnel. Now, we’ll work on potions as well to try and mitigate the effects of the palladium in his system,” Magnus said.

Tony nodded. “And I’ll keep looking for an alternate element.”

There wasn’t much else that they could do, really. Tony hadn’t expected that coming here would solve all his problems for him. But it meant that he wasn’t going to be fighting this on his own anymore. He looked at the people around him, taking in their fear, their _affection,_ and the sheer determination that they were all looking at him with, and it warmed something in Tony that was so often cold. That little place inside where he had let so few people in, convinced that allowing people close enough would only serve to hurt him. Too many had cut at the softer parts of Tony for him to trust.

And yet, the people here, they’d somehow managed to worm their way in and earn the trust that Tony gave away so rarely. They weren’t just friends, not any of them.

They were _family_.

* * *

Dinner went by easier than Tony had expected after his big reveal. He even managed to stay awake through the meal itself – a huge surprise, considering how exhausted he was – though he didn’t eat all that much. The last thing he remembered was curling up against Simon on the couch while everyone bickered over what movie they were going to watch. After that, Tony was gone.

He didn’t wake again until the next morning. When he did, it took a few moments for Tony to blink past the heavy sleepiness that was stuffing his head, and the feeling of weights dragging his limbs down. Confusion fogged his head. There was something dark in front of him, and yet a cold weight all around him that was… kind of nice. Despite the fact that it was pinning his body, a sensation that usually sent him into a panic after Afghanistan, this was different. It wasn’t hot, in the way that everything in the desert caves had been. This was cold, and hard, and yet surprisingly comfortable.

Tony didn’t have long to think on it. There was something annoying near his head – a noise that had likely been the reason he was waking up at all. “J’VIS, mute tha’” Tony grumbled.

The response he got wasn’t loud, or coming from all around him, the way Tony expected it to be. Instead, it was low and quiet and coming from the direction… of his hand? “My apologies, sir. But I believe you’re going to have to actually answer that this morning. Ms. Potts has been trying desperately to reach you.”

Groaning, Tony tried to bury his head more against the coolness in front of him. He was startled when he felt it vibrate a little. It was echoed by a soft chuckling sound just above his head. “Man, you have got to be the cuddliest sleeper I’ve ever met.”

Tony blinked his eyes open and stared in surprise at the darkness in front of him. _A chest_ , he was beginning to realize. He was snuggled up against a chest, and those were arms around him, and legs tangled with his, and a face right up against the top of his head. “ _Simon_?”

“The one and only,” came the instant reply. Then, another chuckle. “You gonna detangle enough to answer your phone? I wouldn’t push it, but JARVIS seems to think you might wanna answer it and I’ve sort of learned not to argue with him, you know? He’s usually right.”

“Don’t tell him that.”

Even as Simon laughed again, Tony was lifting a hand and snapping his fingers to summon his phone to him. He didn’t really pay any attention to Simon’s sharp breath, or the scolding “Sir!” that JARVIS gave. He just snuggled in closer against Simon’s chest and brought the phone up to his ear. “Whatever it is, you better have a good reason for waking me up from the best cuddle-nap I’ve ever had. Otherwise, I’m hanging up on you.”

“ _Don’t you dare,_ ” Pepper fired back instantly. “ _Where are you, Tony? Are you seriously still in bed? You have three different meetings this morning alone, and we’re due to catch a flight out to New York today to start putting together the last of the things necessary for the Expo! Please, tell me you’re not still in bed._ ”

Tony tried not to sigh. “I’m not still in bed,” he repeated dutifully. Which wasn’t a lie. Judging by what Tony could feel, he and Simon were still on the couch where Tony remembered passing out last night. Only they were laying down instead of being propped up in the corner.

“ _Tony!_ ”

“Fine, fine.” This time, Tony didn’t hold in the sigh, nor the groan that it ended up turning into. He drew himself far enough back from Simon’s chest to be able to get his free hand in so that he could rub at his face. “How much time until my first meeting? And who is it with?”

“ _You’ve got a meeting with the board in thirty minutes. I told you two days ago about this meeting, Tony. I even told JARVIS to remind you!_ ”

Oh, great. Just what Tony wanted. Yet another meeting with the Board of Directors to discuss the Expo. Which basically translated to them complaining about the Expo not going the way they wanted it to, plus trying to push their own ideas for it on him – something that he wasn’t going to let happen because they were _idiots_ and their ideas weren’t worth shit. The rest of the time was spent with them trying to drag more Iron Man information out of him. As if he was going to give them anything. No one was getting the Iron Man information from him. _No one_.

However, no matter how little he liked the idea of the meeting, it was one of the few ones that Pepper couldn’t handle for him. She’d been taking on more and more lately, and though she seemed frustrated with it, she was handling it admirably. All of which boded well for Tony’s future plans.

Long-term future, that is. Short-term? Not so much. Mostly because it meant that Tony had to push himself to move away from Simon’s comfortable chest and start to actually sit up.

Simon was there to help him, hands bracing Tony while the two both moved upright. Tony rubbed a hand over his eyes and thought longingly of coffee. “Don’t blame it on J if I don’t wake up,” Tony finally said in response to Pepper’s words. “Besides, why should I bother trying to remember these things? Especially when there’s science to be done. I mean, isn’t that why I’ve got you?”

“ _I’m your personal assistant, Tony, not your babysitter_ ,” Pepper said dryly.

One corner of Tony’s mouth curved up. “Are you sure about that?”

Movement nearby caught Tony’s attention. He dropped his hand from his face and opened his eyes just in time to see Magnus coming towards him from the direction of his office. He was dressed down in just a pair of black pajama pants that were held up only thanks to the tie at the waist, and nothing else. There was a to-go cup of coffee in one hand, and in the other was a glass bottle with a brass lid screwed on. Whatever was inside of it was a strange, shifting green color.

Tony tilted the phone away from his mouth and ignored Pepper for a moment. He furrowed his brow as he looked at the bottle that Magnus held out to him. His father-figure smiled and gave the bottle a little shake. “It’s a pick-me-up,” Magnus said, voice pitched low so that it wouldn’t carry to the phone. “It won’t cure your symptoms, but it should take them away enough for you to function.”

Gratitude lit Tony’s eyes. Without hesitation, he reached out and took the bottle, balancing the phone between ear and shoulder so that he could unscrew the lid. He lifted the bottle and tossed the contents down like a shot.

Almost instantly, he started gagging. “Oh, merciless Lilith, are you trying to poison me more?” Tony blurted out. He stared up at Magnus with betrayal written all over his face. “That was _disgusting_.”

Next to him, Simon was smothering a laugh. Magnus didn’t even bother. He just grinned openly at Tony. Then he held out the coffee cup. “Coffee?”

Tony took it quickly and downed the first two drinks – burning his tongue in the process – before he took another and swished it around his mouth, desperately needing to wash the taste away. While that wasn’t the vilest of potions Magnus had ever fed him, it was definitely up there on the list.

The sound of shouting in his ear reminded Tony that he wasn’t alone with these guys. Pepper was still on the phone, and his swearing had cut her off. “ _What’s going on?_ ” Pepper was demanding. “ _Tony, are you all right?_ ”

“I’m fine,” Tony said, glaring up at Magnus and tossing him the now-empty bottle. “Just a friend trying to poison me with their excuse for a drink. I’ll be fine, if my taste buds haven’t burnt completely off. I’m up, I’ve got my coffee, and I’ll be at the meeting, I promise. I’m already dressed and ready to go.” Again, he still wasn’t lying to her. He was totally dressed, and, with the help of Magnus and magic, he could be considered ready-to-go. “I’m on my way, Pep, gotta go. Don’t wanna be late!”

Without giving her a chance to speak, Tony hung the phone up. He tossed it down onto the coffee table at the same time that he sank backwards on the couch. A deep breath only helped him to slump down even more. “Well, there goes my lazy morning.”

“Such is the life of a CEO,” Magnus teased him. He dropped himself down into the closest chair and put one bare foot up on the coffee table, the other leg crossing over top of it. Somehow he managed to make that sprawl look elegant. _Asshole_. The smirk he was wearing suggested he was reading some of Tony’s thoughts off his face and enjoying them. He was nice enough not to comment on it, though. He just kept talking as if he didn’t notice. “I’ve got a bit of that potion ready for you to take with you. I brewed some up last night before bed and let it set overnight. This should get you through until Catarina and I have time to come up with a better solution. But, in the meantime, no magic.” That last bit was delivered with a stern look and narrowed eyes, a clear warning that Magnus expected Tony to obey.

The wide grin that Tony shot him back wasn’t the least bit reassuring and he knew it. When it only served to deepen the glare that Magnus was wearing, Tony chuckled and waved a hand through the air. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll do my best. I’m not exactly looking to speed things along, you know? I’ll be careful.”

“That portal yesterday suggests otherwise,” Magnus said.

And, okay, Tony couldn’t exactly argue with that. Though… “In my defense, I was mostly exhausted and a little out of my head.”

A low laugh came from Simon. “How’s that any different than normal?”

Rolling his head to the side allowed Tony to glare half-heartedly at his friend. “Eat me, Lewis.”

As much as Tony would’ve loved to sit there and keep up the playful bickering, he knew he needed to get up and actually go to this meeting so that Pepper didn’t try and kill him. There was no point in working to cure the palladium poisoning if he was just going to get suicidal and provoke Pepper.

The small smile that curled Tony’s lips was fond and full of warmth. Pepper was a good friend. Good enough that Tony had even contemplated telling her about this part of his life, about who he _really_ was, on more than one occasion.

That was a thought for a different time, though. Now, Tony pushed himself up off the couch, trying not to groan at the aches that sprang to life when he did. He kicked half-heartedly at Simon’s legs until the vampire moved them out of the way. “Thanks for letting me sleep on you,” Tony said, flashing him a bright grin while walking past.

“Anytime, man. I’m always up for a good cuddle!”

Tony shared a grin with Magnus, who was looking up at Tony with love and worry both on his face. Because there was no one else around – and he knew Simon wouldn’t ever judge him – Tony didn’t hesitate to bend down when he got close and give Magnus a quick hug.

“You take care of yourself,” Magnus murmured. He pressed his face against Tony’s hair, and then drew back enough to kiss his cheek. “I’ll be by tomorrow morning to check on you, unless Cat and I come up with something sooner.”

There was no point in arguing that. Tony knew better. So he settled for smiling and nodding. Nuzzling briefly against the hand that was stroking over his cheek, Tony let his eyes drift down, taking the comfort from that touch. “ _Ti amo, babbo_.”

“I love you too, Anthony.” Another kiss was pressed against his cheek, and then Magnus was pulling back, his hand waving through the air to create a portal. “Try to take care of yourself, and call me or send a fire message if you need me.”

Tony grinned and shot him a peace sign as he walked backward toward the portal. “Can do, pops.” Then, just because he wasn’t going to leave them on such a somber note, he winked at Simon and blew him a kiss. “Catch you later, Cuddles.”

Their laughter followed him through the portal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to come shout at me over on tumblr or twitter @thequeervet :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another huge thank you to shiny_starlight for helping make this story better with your hard work :)
> 
> Warnings: Talk of past abuse/homophobia/and other unpleasant Howard Stark information. :/

In some ways, telling his family the truth didn’t really change much for Tony. He still worked to get the Expo together, still used his free time to try and find any element he could that might replace the palladium. And yet, in other ways, in all the important ways, it changed _everything_.

Now, when Tony woke up in the morning, there was a potion to drink with his coffee, often delivered in-person by Magnus or Catarina. His daily blood toxicity test was now a part of a larger range of tests as one or the other also took the time to see how his body and magic were doing, how effective their potions were, and what they might change to get better results.

Throughout the day Tony got more texts from his family and friends than ever before. They weren’t blatant about their concern; it wasn’t a constant barrage of demands about his health. Instead, they sent him jokes to make him laugh, and plenty of pictures of themselves and just about anything around them. Over the next few weeks Tony got more than enough photographic blackmail material to keep himself content for years to come.

They weren’t huge changes, and yet, they meant everything to him. Tony felt less like… like he was alone. Like solving this no longer rested solely on his shoulders. It was okay if Tony was faltering a little, or if he panicked a bit. There was a whole group people ready to help boost him back up, or to support him until he found his feet again. And that… that was amazing.

However, no matter how great a support system he had, it didn’t mean they could work miracles. So far, the best they’d been able to do was find a potion that gave Tony a semblance of feeling human throughout his day. They were basically treating the symptoms, not the cause, and as much as it made it easier for Tony to continue his day-to-day stuff, it didn’t bode well for his future.

Tony was a realist. A futurist. As much as he may not like to think of the future with this, there was no way he could ignore it the way everyone else seemed content to. No one wanted to think about what might happen if things went wrong.

Magnus was focused firmly on trying to figure out a cure, as was Catarina. Usually after them, Tony would go to Raphael to talk things out, but he couldn’t stand the idea of putting anything else on his brother. Not when it was clear that Raphael wasn’t taking things all that well as it was. Besides, they were still sort of feeling their way around one another after their fight the other day. While they were doing better, that tension was still there, and Tony worried it wouldn’t go away until either Tony got better or things took a drastic change for the worse.

Simon was too sensitive, and Tony wasn’t comfortable enough with Clary or Isabelle to discuss these types of things with them. Nor did he think they’d understand. Clary was far too impulsive and emotional in her decisions, and Isabelle – while beautiful and brilliant – didn’t know enough about the mundane world or about what it meant to be the head of something, to be able to give the right kind of advice.

That only left one person for Tony to try and talk to.

As much as it went against the grain for Tony to ask for help, or to lay his problems on someone else like this, with each passing day he knew he didn’t really have a choice. He needed someone – someone who knew about all parts of his life, and someone who would understand what kind of decisions Tony had to make. Really, in the end, there was only one logical choice.

It was the weekend before the Expo, weeks after he’d told his family the truth, when Tony finally decided to bite the bullet and do what he needed to do. He sent a few texts, confirmed a time and location, and then enlisted Catarina’s help in getting himself a portal to New York so that Magnus wouldn’t know about it, seeing as how Tony was still forbidden from doing any kind of magic.

By the time Tony walked into his second-favorite New York coffeeshop, it was just past nine a.m., and Alec had already arrived. Tony found him easily; the tall man was sitting at a table in the back, looking just a bit awkward with the mundanes that were around him. He drew more than a few eyes. Though, likely not for the reasons he would think. Tony had discovered just how little Alec seemed to think of himself – he at least seemed to believe it when Magnus complimented him, though the fond smile he often gave suggested he believed Magnus was biased or blinded by love. But it was clear that Alec didn’t realize what a looker he really was.

Tony had to snort when Alec blushed and looked away from a woman that was blatantly leering at him over her Frappuccino. If only he realized just how hot the general populace found him.

As someone who knew how good he looked, and how to flaunt it, Tony didn’t hesitate to strut his way across the coffeeshop. His glamour had been only slightly adjusted, hiding his facial hair along with his warlock mark and the arc reactor, and he was dressed a bit more to the _Bane_ side of the family than the _Stark_ side. Skintight stone-grey jeans that hugged him in all the right places, a blue and yellow silk Hermes button-up shirt with long sleeves, a baroque and horse print to the front and back, and a longer hemline that was loose in just the right way. He paired it all with a pair of blue velvet boots with just the smallest heel.

All in all, it was a hell of a look, Tony knew, and he smirked under the eyes that followed him as he made his way over to Alec.

The Shadowhunter looked up just before Tony reached him. There was a brief flare of confusion, his eyebrows drawing down, and then his eyes went wide with recognition. Then Alec’s lips were curving and his face softened into that fond look that was starting to come out more and more often when Tony was around.

“Wow,” Alec said once Tony reached the table. “If I ever doubted you were Magnus’ kid…”

Tony grinned unashamedly. In one deliberately fluid move, he sank down into the seat across from Alec, resting his arms on the tabletop and leaning his weight on them so that he was brought that much closer to Alec. “I actually stole this shirt from him when I was like, sixteen or seventeen, something like that.”

The smile Alec gave him softened his face and warmed his eyes. He didn’t lean out of Tony’s space, the way he might’ve back when they first met, or even look uncomfortable at Tony being in _his_ space. He just looked fond and amused. “Of course you did.”

“Being this extravagant isn’t _usually_ my style. I’m more the jeans-and-t-shirt kind of guy, or a well-tailored suit. But, there’s something to be said about letting go every now and again, and about hiding in plain sight. Tony Stark might dress like he’s walking down into a board meeting, but Antonino Bane doesn’t have that problem.”

“It’s strange,” Alec said, running his eyes over Tony again. “It doesn’t really suit you.”

Snorting, Tony drew up one eyebrow. “Gee, thanks.”

Color flooded Alec’s cheeks. He must’ve realized how his words had sounded, because he scrambled to correct them, his words tripping their way past his lips. “Oh no, I wasn’t, I didn’t mean it like that! You look fantastic, of course you do. I’m just used to seeing you in jeans and t-shirts and you look so much more comfortable in those. This just doesn’t really look like something that’s _you_ …”

“Alec.” Holding up a hand, Tony saved them both by cutting off Alec’s rambling speech. He smiled to make sure that Alec knew he wasn’t upset or offended. “It’s fine, really. Like I said, this isn’t usually my style. Mostly I do it for clubbing, or when I want a bit of anonymity, or when I’m playing up my warlock persona. You’re not wrong – I’m way more comfortable in my at-home clothes.”

Any further conversation was cut off when a barista made her way to the table. The fact that she _came over_ instead of staying behind the counter with the others wasn’t lost on Tony. He’d been here often enough to know that you went up and stood in line to order drinks. Even though there was only one person in line at the moment – and the other barista was handling it – they didn’t come out and waitress the tables like this.

One look at the smiling face of the blond woman in front of him made it abundantly clear why she’d come over here. “Hey there,” she greeted Tony, holding a tablet in hand. Her eyes ran down his body and back up again, or at least what she could see of it with him sitting there. The sparkle in her blue eyes let him know she liked what she saw. “Welcome to Gotta Hava Java. What can I get for you today?”

Tony unabashedly let himself give her a once-over in return. When he looked up at her face again, he flashed a wide, flirtatious grin, and was rewarded with a hint of a blush to her cheeks. “ _Buongiorno_.” Tony put an extra purr to the word, making it roll off his tongue, and then made sure to stick on his best, thickest Italian accent for his next words. “I think I’m in the mood for something a little sweet today. Though, not too sweet.” He made a point to wink at that, which had her giggling. “What would you recommend, darling?”

“I personally love the caramel macchiato. It’s sweet, but with an extra shot it’s not _too_ sweet, though it’s not really that fancy,” she said, her smile growing and showing a hint of dimples.

In response, Tony’s grin grew wide enough to crinkle around his eyes. “Don’t worry, I’m pretty sure I’m fancy enough on my own.” He paused to let her laugh again, choosing to ignore the way Alec was rolling his eyes at him. “Why don’t you go ahead and bring me one of those, darling, extra shot and all.”

By the time she left a few minutes later to get Tony’s drink together, Alec looked like a cross between amused and exasperated. It really was a talented expression to be able to pull off. “You do that well,” Tony said, gesturing towards Alec’s face with a lazy wave of his hand. “ _Babbo_ gives me that look a lot, but he’s had years of practice.”

“I have three younger siblings,” Alec reminded him.

“Touché.”

The light teasing carried the two of them through waiting for Tony’s coffee. It was delivered by the same girl, with another round of flirting that served to make Alec roll his eyes again. Even more so when the woman left and Tony turned the to-go cup to show that there was a phone number written on the cup’s sleeve.

Alec waited until the girl was gone and they were as alone as they were going to get before he sat forward with his own coffee cradled between his hands, and he fixed Tony with a serious look. “So, I don’t imagine you asked me here just to show me your new style and to have me watch you flirt.”

“There’s nothing wrong with fashion and flirting,” Tony pointed out.

“True. But if you wanted those, you would’ve called Magnus, or Izzy, or even Simon. Instead, you called me.” The smile melted off of Alec’s face. His hazel eyes seemed darker, and his brows were furrowed down just the slightest bit. “What’s going on, Tony?”

It was hard for Tony not to let his own expression fall completely. He’d come here with a plan, yet that didn’t make it easier. He had hopes for how this conversation was going to go. But, there was no telling exactly how a person might react to things. Tony could only hope for the best.

Gathering his courage, he straightened his spine a little and met Alec’s gaze head on. The other man must’ve been able to see how serious Tony was; he sat up as well, mirroring his posture. “I picked you to talk to today because you’re someone who not only knows both parts of my life, but who probably understands my position better than anyone else,” Tony said. Any accent or signs of playfulness were gone. This was the serious face that Tony put on for important meetings. One that meant business. “Everyone else is too stubborn for this conversation. They won’t even admit it’s necessary. I’m hoping you’ll be able to see that it is.”

“You’re trying to plan for the future. If things go wrong.”

The flat way Alec said that had Tony wanting to wince a little. At the same time, the way Alec was looking at him, how some of the lines in his face smoothed away while others came out, showed that he might not like this topic but that, like Tony had hoped, he _understood_.

Tony nodded at him. “I am. I might not like it, but I have to be practical. I have too many people who rely on me to just leave them all in the lurch if things go south. I’m in charge of a company that operates worldwide. Now, normally I’d just plan this all out and hope for the best, but… there are a lot of factors in this. I just, I wanted someone to run all this by who knows the stakes; who knows the whole situation and might be able to see things that I’m missing.”

There was a long moment where Alec just stared at him. His gaze was searching, like he was trying to read something in Tony’s eyes or on his face, and Tony had to fight not to hide from it. Pulling up masks was habitual. Instinct. To allow himself to be read like this had Tony feeling vulnerable in ways he so rarely let happen.

After a moment, Alec gave a slow nod. “What have you come up with so far?”

* * *

The two men spent almost three hours there in that coffeeshop. What started as Tony laying out light, tentative plans for the future of his company, for what would happen with his suits and his things, had evolved into so much more. As they delved deeper into it, Tony spared a bit of magic to make sure their words wouldn’t be overheard. Then he threw himself wholeheartedly into the conversation.

A tablet was brought out and JARVIS was included in the conversation. Together, the trio worked out plans for everything, above and beyond what Tony had already started to build on his own.

By the time they finally left, there was a pretty comprehensive plan saved on JARVIS’s servers, and Tony felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Being able to look at something concrete and know that those he loved and those he was responsible for taking care of… seeing all that made it easier for Tony to breathe than it had been for months now.

“I really appreciate it, Alec,” Tony said, bumping his arm against the other man’s as they headed down the street from the coffeeshop.

Alec moved smoothly to avoid some of the people coming towards them, but he also took a second to flash a shy, sad sort of smile over at Tony. “Of course. That’s what family’s for, right?”

The almost hesitant way that Alec said that had Tony’s heart clenching. That was a huge word, for the both of them. A massive one. And yet… Tony smiled softly up at him and reached out to thread his hand through the crook of Alec’s arm. “Yeah, _patrigno._ It is.”

Alec’s beaming smile banished any of Tony’s remaining nerves. They _were_ family. Brought together by people and circumstances, and yet no less meaningful because of it.

The two walked for a little bit, neither one with any real destination in mind. It was a nice sense of peace after such serious business. Yet, when Tony started to pay attention to their surroundings, he was more than pleased to see that they’d wandered towards the mall. He turned to grin at Alec, only to find the man giving him a dry, flat look. “No.”

“Come on! Just a few stores…”

“It’s never _just a few stores_.”

Tony grinned at him. “You can set an alarm and everything, and when it goes off, I swear, we’ll leave. I just want to look around, maybe pick up a few things. There are some stores in there that I bet will suit your tastes, too. Come on, Alec, my treat! We’ll get you dressed up for date night.” Tony caught sight of the faint wince at that, and he narrowed his eyes a little, but didn’t wipe the enthusiasm from his voice. “I mean, not that you don’t look good just the way you are, and don’t ever let anyone convince you otherwise.”

“I’ve been told I’m a fashion disaster,” Alec said, flushing a little and looking away. He was letting Tony steer him towards the mall, though, which was a bonus.

He was clearly surprised when Tony shrugged. “Meh. You like what you like, Alec. There’s nothing wrong with that. Just because someone else doesn’t like it doesn’t mean your clothes are _bad_.”

“If they’re not bad, why are you talking about buying me new ones?”

“Oh, breathe, Gorgeous.” A grin flashed over Tony’s face. He gave Alec’s arm a squeeze, tugging him around the corner so that they were finally able to start crossing the parking lot towards the mall. “I’m not talking about dragging you in here to give you some extreme makeover, Warlock-Eye for the Shadowhunter-Guy bullshit. I just figured, some of your clothes look really comfortable, but really old, and I know everyone keeps nagging you for new stuff, but if they take you out I get the feeling they’re gonna try and bully you into getting stuff you don’t like.”

“They don’t bully me.”

“Yeah, they do.” Tony softened those words with a smile and a little pat against Alec’s arm. “They do it in the name of friendship, but they still do it.”

Alec arched an eyebrow and looked down at him. “And you’re not right now?”

“Nope! What I’m gonna do is take you around to buy the stuff that you like, with a price tag and label they can’t argue with. That way, when they demand you wear something more fashionable, you’ll be able to say everything you’re wearing is Tony-Stark-approved.” With a tilt of his head, Tony winked again. “That should shut them up.”

There was a brief moment where Tony wasn’t sure that Alec was getting everything that he was trying to convey here, or where maybe he’d get so caught up on the whole ‘price tag’ bit that he’d ignore the rest. But then he was pleasantly surprised at the slightly mischievous smile that just barely curved Alec’s lips. “Where’re we going first?”

Tony laughed and hurried them forward.

* * *

Shopping was something that Tony had always loved. Shopping for someone else, even more so. Though he had a feeling Alec hadn’t quite been prepared for what a shopping trip with Tony could be like. Still, he was a good sport, complaining only a little as Alec dragged him from store to store. Once Tony knew his size, it was easy to find things for him. The trick was finding stuff that was still Alec’s style while also being fashionable enough that his sister wouldn’t complain about it. It was a challenge, and Tony had always loved those.

Eventually, they each had about six bags apiece, and Alec was more than ready to go. Tony figured he’d pushed his luck as far as he should at the moment. He acquiesced easily, letting Alec begin steering him towards the mall exit.

They were most of the way there when they passed by a store that had a huge Pride display in the front of it. Tony didn’t even think, he just took hold of Alec’s arm and yanked him over, eyes on the display. “Oooh, would you look at that? I should go in and get myself a new shirt for next Pride.” It wasn’t like he didn’t already have plenty, but a person could never really have too many Pride clothes. The display here had the generic stuff in it. All the flags, shirts, stickers, the usual things that someone might get. Though he was pleasantly surprised to see the pansexual flag in there.

Still holding Alec’s arm, Tony flashed him a grin. “You know, Magnus and I usually go to Pride. You should definitely come with us.”

What had been a light blush before on Alec’s cheeks was deepening now into something so much stronger. The man was clearly torn between embarrassment and wanting to stay there with Tony. His eyes flickered over to the display, and then back to Tony, and then around in a way that made it clear he was taking in all the people nearby. All the people that might see them standing together like this in front of a Pride display. Though he didn’t move away – a fact that Tony had a feeling was a big step –he did drop his eyes back down and stammer out: “I don’t, I mean I’m not, uh, I don’t…”

Tony smiled as Alec trailed off, clearly unable to finish his sentence. He leaned in to try and offer comfort, and he gentled his voice, making it soothing. “Hey, it’s fine. No one says you have to.”

“My sister’s been trying to get me to go for years,” Alec mumbled. “Magnus, too.” His eyes lifted again, going to a rather subtle Pride shirt on the far right. It was black, of course it was, but the word _Equality_ was written in rainbow-colored cursive across the chest. The shirt was subtle, simple, and was obviously something that Alec wanted. There was a kind of longing in his eyes that made Tony _hurt_.

From what Tony knew of Shadowhunters, and what little hints he’d picked up from Magnus – who had tried to be discreet about what he said, out of respect for Alec – it wasn’t hard for Tony to imagine what kind of life Alec had had. How he’d been treated just for being who he was. If Tony was understanding it all right, Alec had been closeted for most of his life. Living like that was usually the result of _fear_. Fear of themselves, of others, of what might happen. Tony understood that. He’d _lived_ it. He’d just… taken it in an entirely different direction.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with Alec, the two went quiet for a moment while Tony debated speaking, debated what words to use. After a moment, he spoke, though he didn’t take his eyes off the display. “My dad, Howard, he wasn’t a tolerant guy. In his world, being gay wasn’t exactly an option. I want to say it was just a part of the generation he was raised in, but that feels like making excuses for him being an asshole, and that’s the last thing I want to do. But I know what it’s like to be raised in a place where you’ve got to be afraid of being yourself.”

He could feel that he had Alec’s attention. Without looking, Tony knew that he was being watched. Yet, he wasn’t done yet. If he wanted Alec to understand… he needed to make him actually _understand_. Let him see that Tony wasn’t just giving him empty sympathy.

One story came to mind and it had Tony’s throat going dry. Yet somehow, he managed to lick his lips and make the words come, even if he couldn’t look over while he did it. “Once, when I was about, oh, nine I think, I was really fascinated by Maggie’s makeup. He caught me looking at it, and we spent the next few hours playing. He put it on me, and he let me put it on him, and it was so much _fun_. I was so excited by it.” Even now, Tony could remember the thrill he’d felt when Magnus had put the glitter on his eyelids, or when he’d traced that eyeliner pen over Magnus’ lids.

Things had been so good, right up until they hadn’t. Remembering what came next had Tony’s chest shuddering a little. “And then I went home, and I was stupid enough to let my Dad see me.” The lump in Tony’s throat grew bigger. Only years of practice kept his voice steady when he continued on. “Dad grabbed me by my hair and dragged me into the bathroom, and then he almost drowned me trying to wash it off my face, letting me know the whole time that it was bad enough he had a monster for a kid, he wasn’t going to have a fairy, too.”

“ _Raziel_ ,” Alec breathed out.

Tony blinked away the memories that swarmed up. He pushed them back, locking them away in the little box where he kept them all. Only when he was sure they were under control did he turn and look at Alec. He found the Shadowhunter watching him with open sadness and shock. There was something else, something that Tony had seen when Alec looked at Jace, or Isabelle, or that sat in Magnus’ eyes when he looked at Tony. It was that need to protect.

Smiling slightly, Tony reached out and once more patted Alec’s arm. “It’s fine. I survived, and I’m stronger for it, most of the time. My point was, I get what it’s like to be terrified to be who you really are and to be made to feel like you should hide, or be ashamed. You chose the safer route and actually hid, if I’m reading things right. You became who they wanted you to be. I’m not judging that. Everyone has to make the choice that’s best for them. No one else has the right to tell you your decisions were wrong. They don’t know you. They didn’t live in your shoes.”

Now came the important part. This was the part that he needed Alec to listen to the most. And for that, Tony had to look at him, turn his whole body to face him.

Alec was staring at Tony with wide, guarded eyes, yet the emotion he felt was clearly there, just barely held back.

“I get it,” Tony said gently. “That kind of mindset, it’s not easy to let go of. But, you’re not a kid anymore, and they don’t have power over you, Alec. You’re the Head of the Institute. You’re dating the damn High Warlock of Brooklyn. You’ve got people who love you, and who’re willing to support you. With all that on your side… what does it matter what a few assholes think? People are always going to judge you for something. It’s part of being a leader. It’s up to you to decide if you want to live under their expectations, or live up to your own.”

Tony didn’t say anything else. He just gave Alec’s arm one last squeeze and then stepped away from him. “I’m gonna go get us some coffee,” he said, pointing towards the Starbucks just ahead. Then he turned around and made his way over there, giving Alec the privacy needed to gather himself.

It took Alec almost ten minutes to catch up with him. When he did, Tony noticed he had a plain black bag in his hand. There was just a hint of something rainbow peeking out of the white paper inside.

Beaming, Tony looked up at him, letting all his pride show clearly on his face. Then he held up one of the coffees in his hand. “Caramel macchiato?”

Alec’s smile was wider than Tony could remember seeing it for anything other than Magnus. “Thanks.”

The word wasn’t just for the drink, and they both knew it, yet Tony just nodded and handed the drink over. Then, cradling his own in his hand, he used his free hand to reach out and thread his arm through Alec’s. “There’s a store just up ahead that has some of the most stupid and ridiculous hats. Let’s go buy seven of them and stick them in Maggie’s closet. Cinnamon breakfast says I can get him to wear at least one of them.”

* * *

They ended up buying ten of the most amazing hats that Tony had ever seen. One of them was a smaller version of a top hat, done up in rhinestones that twinkled with hints of blue and purple when the light hit it. Three feathers stuck out from the hat’s band. They stuck out far enough that Tony had to be careful going through doors. He _loved_ it.

In contrast, Alec was wearing an oversized black top hat. The band around the center of the hat as well as all the trim was gold, and it was covered in gold cats pawprints, of all things. Alec had seen it on the shelf and laughed so hard, there was no way Tony couldn’t buy it for him.

One of the hats they’d found was a donut – a giant, chocolate covered donut with sprinkles. Alec was _still_ cackling over it as they made their way out of the elevator and down the hall to the loft.

“Jace is gonna love it,” he insisted, grinning broadly.

Seeing that wide grin on his face only made Tony’s own grin grow. “Bitch, please. They’re _all_ gonna love their hats.”

The wards around the loft had the door opening just when they reached it. Neither man missed a beat, turning themselves to get them and their bags through the door. They were laughing, and Tony was fighting not to get his hat knocked off by bumping the feathers too hard, when Magnus appeared in the entryway. He took one look at the two of them and raised his eyebrows. “Well now, this is unexpected. I wasn’t even aware you were in town, Anthony!” Magnus paused to run his eyes over all their bags, and mirth sparked there. “Do I even want to know what the two of you have been up to?”

Grinning, Tony lifted up his arms full of bags. “Shopping!” Without hesitation, most of his bags were dropped as Tony hurried forward with the most important one. “Look, we brought presents!”

Alec followed at a much more sedate pace. His bags were set neatly off to the side, though he grabbed one of the medium-sized ones to hold out to Magnus, smiling softly at him as he added in his own present.

Everything about Magnus just lit up in that honest way of his. The one that made it clear how pleased he really was at just the idea that they’d thought of him enough to bring him gifts. It was why Tony always made damn sure to bring him one whenever he could. “ _Two_ presents? And it’s not even my birthday.”

“You’re amazing every day,” Tony said, waving a hand almost dismissively and not really paying attention to how those simple words made Magnus beam. Then he shoved his bag into Magnus’ hands. “Look, look, it’s wonderful, you’re absolutely gonna love it, I swear. Alec helped me pick it out. Well, the first one. I picked out the little one all by myself. But we worked really hard to pick out the big one together.”

Magnus immediately set the bag down on the nearby table and started to draw out the big box inside. As he did, he snuck a look over at Tony, eyes flicking over his shirt. “Nice shirt, little one. It almost seems like something _I_ might wear.”

“What can I say?” Tony asked, shifting his grin into a smirk. “I guess I just got my Papa’s good taste, huh?”

Alec gave a low huff, shaking his head.

Then all teasing was forgotten as Magnus took the top off the hat box and revealed the utterly absurd hat underneath.

It was what looked to be a sequined fedora, with just a few peacock colored feathers coming out from it, but there was one special feature to it that made it as ridiculous as it was. Darting forward, Tony reached down into the tissue to pull out the tiny little remote hidden in there. “Look – this is the best part!” One press of the button and the sequins on the hat _lit up_. The first click had them all glowing blue. Another click turned them red. Then green, yellow, purple. Another click had it smoothly running from one color to the next, while the next click had the lights blinking in patterns.

Tony and Alec had loved the hat when they’d seen it, and they knew it just screamed out Magnus’ name.

They both watched as Magnus threw his head back and a husky laugh tumbled past his lips. He didn’t hesitate at all to pull the hat out and press it down on his head, not even caring about messing up his styled hair. It was blinking between blue and purple when Magnus turned to grin at them. “It’s absolutely _wonderful_!”

“We got hats for everyone,” Tony told him, gesturing to the other hat bags. He was grinning and bouncing a little on the balls of his feet in a way that had Magnus smiling fondly at him. “I’m betting we can get them all to wear them.”

Magnus laughed again, reaching out as he did and patting Tony’s cheek. “It’s adorable that you think I would give them a choice in the matter.” With that teasing promise – which only served to set Tony chuckling – he turned towards Alec and took the bag that his partner was extending his way. His smile was softer in a different way for Alec than it was for Tony, yet no less full of love. “And what amazing thing have you brought me, Alexander?”

“Guess you’ll have to open it and see,” Alec teased him.

The way that Magnus lit up was reason enough for Tony to love Alec. Even if he didn’t like the man – and he finding out just how much he really liked Alec as a person – that smile on Magnus’ face would’ve done it. “You spoil me,” Magnus said softly, taking the bag from Alec’s hands.

“You deserve it.”

Tony took advantage of the moment to close up the hat box and move it to the side of the table. He dumped out the bag, revealing the smaller gift inside that he’d mentioned, and then he left that sitting on the table while he began to slip off towards the mini bar. Out of the corner of his eye he kept watch as Magnus opened up the little jewelers box. The instant Magnus saw what was inside, he let out a soft gasp. “Oh, _Alexander_.”

The gift was perfect. Tony had known that the instant he’d found Alec eyeing it through the display case. It was an intricate choker done in twists and twirls of black metal that looked delicate yet were surprisingly strong, dotted here and there with tiny winking stones of amber, just barely noticeable at first glance. At the spot that would sit in the hollow of his throat was an amber stone. The metal curled over the edges of it like it’d grown there. From points along the front of the choker, thin strands of amber beats came down only to circle over and connect with another point just a bit away.

The piece was beautiful. _Gorgeous_. And definitely something that Tony knew Magnus would love – especially coming from Alec.

Tony had discreetly added a bit of his own magic to the stones. Amping up the natural protective and relaxing vibes that came from carrying amber against skin. Just because he could.

“It’s beautiful,” Magnus breathed out, tilting his head so that he was looking up at Alec once more. The way he looked at him – it was like Alec was responsible for everything good that had ever happened in the world. In a way, for Magnus, he _was_.

Tony turned himself away to give them a moment of privacy when Magnus leaned in to thank his Shadowhunter properly. For the moment he busied himself with fixing a martini and trying not to focus on the fact that his energy levels were seriously starting to flag. Once his drink was made, he turned back around to find that the happy couple hadn’t parted much. Tony rolled his eyes, yet he smiled a little, not even bothering to hide it. “Right,” he said, breaking into the moment between them. “Not that this isn’t sweet and everything, but I get the feeling it’s not exactly meant for three. So, I’m gonna leave you lovebirds here to celebrate your gifts, and I’m gonna go call Zia Cat and set up a portal back home.”

“Oh no,” Magnus said, forcibly breaking himself away from Alec, though it didn’t escape Tony’s notice that he didn’t go far. He kept one hand at Alec’s back while turning to face Tony. “Don’t even think about it, little boy blue. You honestly believe you’re leaving here without sitting down and eating some dinner first? Not to mention you look like you’re due for your next potion, and I’ve got a fresh batch ready to go.” The warmth of Magnus’ magic tickled at Tony, showing love and amusement both. “What kind of parents do you think we are?” he mock-chided.

The smile that grew on Tony’s lips was a bit slower than his normal one, just a bit shy at the edges in ways that those back home wouldn’t believe, and full of love. “I’m so sorry, what was I thinking?”

“Who knows?” Magnus gave an audible sniff. “I’m quite offended, I’ll have you know. Luckily, you can make it up to me by having a seat and regaling me with your afternoon. Namely, how you managed to bring Alexander home from a clear shopping trip without him looking as if he’d been tortured by demons for hours on end.”

Tony grinned and threw a wink at Alec. Then he lifted his free hand and buffed his nails on his shirt. “Baby, I’m just that _good_.”

As Magnus laughed, and Alec shook his head, the group started their way toward the kitchen for a little family time. A perfect end to an already great day.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys we're just about caught up to where I am with writing, so this might slow down a bit. Not much, but some. I'll try to keep to once-a-week updates

Despite how hard Tony had worked to get the Expo up and running, he could honestly admit that he was more than ready to be done with it. The whole thing was a _huge_ undertaking. Very few people probably realized just how much work _Tony_ had to put into things. To most, it likely looked like Tony’s only job was showing up and making a speech or fronting the money for it – and Tony did both to the best of his ability.

Flying in with the suit and dropping down to the stage had made one hell of an impression. One that people would talk about for a long time.

Of course, the impression he made the next day at the Senate hearing he was summoned to would probably stick around for a long time, too.

Life as Tony Stark hadn’t ever exactly been considered _dull_. Life as Iron Man only seemed to make it all the more interesting. Though Tony could honestly say he wished his life was a little _less_ interesting. Namely in all the ways that had him waking up the morning after his hearing and not even managing to make it to his bathroom before he was emptying his guts.

He wasn’t surprised when his bedroom door opened not even fifteen seconds after he started throwing up. Tony didn’t protest as Magnus gathered him into what was becoming a far-too-familiar position for them. Too many times had Tony found himself like this recently. His stomach fighting against him, rebelling with everything it had, and his body aching as it came to rest sideways against Magnus. Wonderful, amazing Magnus, who never once flinched from helping Tony in moments like this. Who didn’t even wrinkle his nose at the vomit on the floor or the sharp, acrid smell of it. Who didn’t seem to care about just how sweaty Tony’s body was as it pressed against him.

“I hate this,” Tony grumbled when the nausea finally faded away. He slumped sideways until he was once again resting fully against Magnus’ chest.

A wave of magic cleaned the floor like there’d never been anything there. Then a warm, damp cloth was being used to clean Tony’s face. “No one likes vomiting, my dear.”

“I’m sure someone somewhere does. Don’t kink-shame, _babbo_.”

The gentle huff of Magnus’ chuckles didn’t disturb Tony’s comfortable position at all. He was free to lay there comfortably while Magnus stroked gentle, soothing fingers through his hair.

Magnus lifted his other hand and brought out the now familiar glass vial. The shake in Tony’s hands was only slightly noticeable when he reached out for it. With one hand he unscrewed it, and with the other he lifted the bottle and drank it down in one swallow. The taste never got any better no matter how many times he drank it. But then again, neither did the chlorophyll shakes he was drinking every day, and yet Tony still had them. Medicine never tasted good, in his opinion.

Neither man moved while they waited for the effects of the potion to sink in. Magnus kept Tony against him, that one hand still stroking at his hair, and his chest vibrating a little with the soft, low hum of a familiar lullaby.

Eventually, Tony felt human enough to be able to move without sending the contents of his stomach all over the floor once again.

“Got it?” Magnus murmured, bracing Tony’s arms as he started to rise.

The younger warlock nodded his head, not quite trusting his voice yet. He didn’t even bother to try and crack a joke the way he had the first morning this had happened. What was the point? Dispelling the awkwardness wouldn’t really work. It’d all be right back here tomorrow morning.

Once Tony was upright, Magnus braced him a moment more, letting him catch his feet. Then he smiled and carefully let go. “Why don’t you go ahead go brush your teeth? Save the shower and dressing up for later. Alexander is downstairs making pancakes for breakfast.”

They both knew that, even with the potion, Tony wasn’t up for standing the shower anyways. Not yet. His body always needed a little time for the potion to start working at its best. For now, he was shaky, a bit weak, and uncomfortably aware of both of those facts. Yet he still smiled a little at Magnus, and he took the olive branch being held out his way. “Alec is making breakfast?”

“Of course he is!” A wide grin split Magnus’ face and lit up his unglamoured eyes. “Did you really think we wouldn’t come? We watched you on TV last night. They played your Expo entrance over and over again, and the clips from your Senate hearing.”

Thinking of that had Tony giving a low, husky chuckle. He began to make his way towards his bathroom, pretending not to notice when he stumbled and Magnus had to dart forward to brace him upright. “I made a Senator swear at me. On live television,” Tony said, still chuckling.

Magnus laughed right along with him. “Yes you did, my dear.”

“He’s a pompous old asshole anyway.” The door to the bathroom opened in front of them, the lights automatically coming on. When Tony winced, they dimmed, and he shot a grateful look at a nearby camera. “Thanks, J.”

It took almost ten minutes just for Tony to take care of his morning business. Luckily, by the time he emerged from the bathroom, the nausea was almost completely gone, and Tony’s movements were stronger, a bit more sure. The tremors hadn’t faded away; they were becoming more common, a fact which both irritated and terrified Tony. Losing the ability to properly use his hands was something that Tony tried very, very hard not to think about.

Magnus had waited for him in the bedroom. When Tony came out, he found his father figure lying on his bed and staring up at the ceiling while talking to JARVIS. He and Alec must have had plans for later in the day, judging by Magnus’ outfit. He was in thick-striped black and white pants, white boots, and a white form-fitted turtleneck shirt that looked like it was made of the softest, lightest material, get it clung to every inch of him.

Arching one eyebrow, Tony let his gaze run over Magnus’ outfit. “Aren’t you fancy today, _babbo_.”

“We had a meeting earlier with a representative from the Clave,” Magnus said. In one smooth, rolling move, he rose up from the bed. “I like to… make an impression.”

Just barely did Tony resist snorting. _Make an impression_. Tony had no doubt that the Clave – the leading government for the nephilim – got quite the impression from Magnus showing up in mostly white like this. White was a ceremonial color for Shadowhunters. Funerals, weddings, things like that. From what Tony understood, most of their ceremonial outfits consisted of white or gold, or both. Having Magnus show up with Alec to speak to someone from the Clave in so much white, and yet done with a true Magnus Bane fashion sense, was his way of spitting in their faces.

Shaking his eyes, and yet unable to stop his smile, Tony couldn’t help but ask “Did Alec approve of this?”

That got him a quickly flashed grin and an over-the-top wink. “For all his grumbles, trust me, Alexander more than approves of my fashion choices.”

A few weeks ago Tony might not have believed him. But with how close they’d gotten lately, and with how much of a salty bastard Tony had discovered Alec could be… yeah, he could definitely see Alec privately enjoying the way that Magnus would thumb his nose at people who didn’t approve of him or them. Alec had this tendency to occasionally come off as an asshole. He didn’t tend to filter himself, and it was worse when it was about or towards someone he didn’t like.

That fact was only backed up when the two joined Alec downstairs in the kitchen and Tony got to see how Alec lit up at the sight of Magnus – a normal thing – and how his lips twitched a little as he once more took in the warlock’s outfit. Magnus, the vain peacock that he was, preened visibly underneath that look, which just made Alec chuckle.

The whole kitchen smelled amazing. With the potion fully in his system, Tony could definitely appreciate the pancakes that were being set down on the table. Tony inhaled deeply as he broke away from Magnus and made his way forward. “Mmmm, if you’re trying to earn points for new favorite parent, you’re _definitely_ on the right track.”

“Hey!” Magnus cried out at the same time that Alec laughed.

Tony grinned cheekily at him. “What? When was the last time _you_ made me pancakes? By _hand_?”

“Who’s been the one feeding you breakfast almost every single day these past weeks?” Magnus fired back. “Just because someone else made them hardly makes them mean any less!”

There was no telling how long the two might’ve bickered for. Alec cut between them with a dry “All right, guys.” He rolled his eyes and gestured towards the table. “Go, sit down and eat before it gets cold. You can argue over breakfast while actually _eating_ breakfast.”

The atmosphere in the kitchen was fun and easy as the trio settled in to have their shared breakfast. Usually Magnus came alone for these mornings, or with Catarina, but Tony was glad that Alec had come with him this time. Tony was enjoying his growing relationship with the Shadowhunter. In an atmosphere like this, Alec really let go, and Tony found himself laughing and teasing, relaxing in a way that he usually only did with Magnus or Raphael.

Tony was shoveling in his third pancake and thinking absently that he needed to contact his brother later when JARVIS interrupted their breakfast with a warning of “Sir, Ms. Potts is here to see you.”

There was a brief moment where Tony flicked his eyes up to his companions and debated his choices. Then, with a mental shrug, he said “Send her on in, J.”

Surprise lit Magnus’ eyes, and Alec arched an eyebrow at him. “You sure, Tony?” Alec asked quietly.

Tony gave him a soft, reassuring smile. “I’ve been meaning to do it for a while now. No point in putting it off.”

They didn’t question him any further. A fact which Tony was grateful for. If they did, he might start to get even more nervous about this, and that was the last thing he needed right then. Tony had to work to push down the nerves that were already there.

By the time Pepper came striding into the kitchen, heels clicking in that ominous tone that only ever spelled trouble for Tony, he had his mask firmly in place. There wasn’t a sign of any of his nerves anywhere on him. In fact, Tony was grinning when he looked up at her, and that grin grew when he took in the scowl on her face. “Pep! Come in, come in, we’re just having some breakfast. You wanna join us?”

Tony’s words cut Pepper off before she even got started. Her eyes darted to the two with him, and Tony could read the surprise on her face in the brief widening of her eyes, the tiny little tilt of her head, and the spasm of her fingers over the tablet she held. Then it was pushed off, pushed _down_ , and the professional persona she adopted around people outside of Tony’s private circle slipped into place. “Mr. Stark, I’m sorry to interrupt your breakfast. I was hoping to take a moment of your time…”

A wave of Tony’s hand cut off both her and her formal tone. “It’s fine, Pep, they’re family. Whatever lecture you have, you can give in front of them.” Shrugging, Tony cut off another bite from his pancakes, and he used his chin to gesture towards Magnus. “I’ve known him since before I knew Rhodey, and he’s probably lectured me louder and longer than you ever have.”

Magnus smirked as he lifted his coffee cup up towards his mouth. “And far more furiously, I imagine.” Tony looked up to glare, and Magnus blew him a kiss. “Love you too, darling.” He added a wink for good measure, just to be an asshole, and though Tony’s lips were twitching almost against his will, he made a show of rolling his eyes.

While Tony was rolling his eyes, and Pepper was still visibly floundering, Magnus turned towards her and smiled with all the charm he was known for. “Forgive us, Ms. Potts. My name is Magnus, since Anthony doesn’t seem in the mood to introduce us. I’ve heard so many good things about you.”

Ever the polite one, Pepper took his hand when Magnus extended it, and she smiled back at him. It wasn’t hard to see the sharp mind racing behind her eyes, though. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Magnus. I… _oh_.” The lightbulb went off and Pepper’s whole face lit up with realization. “Are you _Maggie_?”

The way that Magnus grimaced had Tony grinning around his bite of pancake. “Yes, well, I’d much prefer Magnus if you don’t mind.”

“Serves you right,” Alec murmured next to him.

When Magnus drew his hand back from Pepper, he made a point to dig his elbow in against Alec’s side along the way. It got him a glare from his partner, which he returned with a smirking look of his own. Tony just chuckled as he kept on eating. “C’mon, Pep, sit down. Join us.” He gestured to the empty side of the booth with a vague wave of his hand. “There’s plenty enough pancakes. You’ve got to try these – Alec makes a damn good breakfast. And I’m sure you were too busy hurrying over here to yell at me to stop and eat breakfast.”

“I wasn’t coming just to yell at you,” Pepper said primly. She was clearly still unsure in front of the other two, yet there was a relaxed air around the table, one that made it just a bit easier for her to sit down with them. It helped that she’d worked for Tony long enough to be a bit used to dealing with strange things. Pepper never would’ve lasted with him if she hadn’t learned how to roll with the punches.

She held out a hand to stop the offer of pancakes, though she did take the cup when Magnus offered it to her, happily accepting fresh coffee.

Tony grinned at her the whole time. “Not _just_ to yell, huh? Well, go on, get it out of the way. I’ve got a busy day ahead of me, you know. Things to do.” He waved his fork expansively in front of him and then dove back in to his pancakes. God, he loved Alec’s cooking!

“I told you, I wasn’t coming here just to yell. I was already on my way here to talk to you about yesterday’s hearing when I got an interesting phone call about a recent sale you made.”

Ah, yeah. _That_. Tony had known that was going to get to her. Mentally preparing himself, he drew his coffee cup up and took a drink, watching her over the brim with eyebrows raised in silent question.

Pepper took in his look and sighed heavily. She was well versed in quite a bit of Tony’s body language for someone he’d never slept with. She knew how to read the stubborn set of his face, the amusement in his posture, and she likely knew that her yelling wasn’t going to do anything. Still, it didn’t stop her from shooting him an exasperated look. “Tony. What were you thinking?”

“Currently, I’m thinking you’re angry about something, and I’m hungry,” Tony said, gesturing towards his plate.

The look Pepper shot towards the ceiling was likely a silent prayer for patience. Tony had caught her mumbling one once. Ever since then, seeing the gesture made him want to chuckle. “Did you…” Huffing, Pepper glared at him again. “Did you actually donate our entire modern art collection to the…the…”

“Boy Scouts of America?” Tony helpfully supplied.

Magnus choked on his coffee, something which Tony promised himself he’d have JARVIS replay for him later, though it wasn’t anywhere near as good as the way Pepper clenched her hands on her mug and glared even more. “Yes!”

It was probably the wrong time to find her quite so attractive.

Finally recovering, Magnus wiped his mouth on a napkin, shooting Tony an incredulous look the whole time. “Anthony, you didn’t!”

Tony shrugged one shoulder negligently. “What? It’s a worthwhile organization,” he said. Then he looked back at Pepper and couldn’t help but point out: “Besides, it’s not _our_ collection, it’s _my_ collection, no offense.”

The way she pursed her lips and her brows narrowed down told him that offense was _very much taken._ “No, you know what? I think I’m entitled to say ‘our’ collection, considering I spent over ten years curating that.”

“It’s a tax write-off, I needed that.”

This time both Pepper and Magnus had identical looks of disbelief on their faces. Tony took a drink and hid his smile. It was easy to watch as Magnus clearly shook his head and washed his hands of the whole thing, and as Pepper visibly restrained herself from pushing harder on it. She set her mug down, and her other hand curled around the tablet she’d come in with. “I… there are other things we need to discuss, Tony. Important things. The Expo,” Pausing, Pepper looked to the others, clearly hesitating.

Tony knew where she was going with it, though. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard this speech. “It’s not a waste of time. It’s one of the most important things I’ve got going right now.”

“The Expo is your ego gone crazy,” Pepper snapped back, flushing almost immediately as she realized what she’d just said in front of guests. While she wasn’t afraid to rip him apart in private, she was usually much gentler around others. Especially people she didn’t know.

Snorting, Tony set his mug down and reached out to grab another pancake. His appetite was apparently still in full force and he wasn’t going to deny himself food while his body was actually accepting it. “Geeze, Pep, don’t sugarcoat it.”

He heard her sigh again. “SI is in complete disarray, Tony…”

“Our stocks have never been higher!”

“Yes, from a managerial standpoint!” Pepper snapped. He looked up in time to see her sighing and pinching the bridge of her nose. Across from her, Magnus and Alec were watching silently, their eyes going back and forth between the two like this was a tennis match. Pepper, likely remembering their audience once more, softened her voice and tried for calm. “Tony, there are so many things going on right now that you need to be focusing on. So many decisions that have to be made.”

He shrugged, much to her clear annoyance. “It’s boring, Pep.” When she started to protest, he cut her off again. “Nope, boring. I’m giving you a boring alert.”

“I don’t care if it’s boring,” Pepper said flatly. “It needs to be done.”

“So do it,” Tony said. He saw her frustration grow, her hand clenching on the tablet, and Tony smiled so softly it froze her. “I mean it, Pepper. You do it. You run the company.”

There was only one person here who knew Tony’s plans for this. Alec was the only one who knew the plans that Tony had, and how big this one here was. But the look he was giving Tony was letting him know he wasn’t exactly impressed by how Tony was choosing to execute it.

“I’m _trying_ to run the company,” Pepper said. Her voice had lost its edge, though. She knew something was going on, she just didn’t _understand_ yet.

Tony finally set his fork down. It was clear she wasn’t getting what he was meaning. He was going to have to be more direct about this. Dropping the playful act, Tony let her see just how serious he was. “Pepper, listen to me. I want you to run this company. I don’t want to give it up, but you and I both know you’ve been running things for a while now. I just think it’s about time we made it more official. I want to make you President, with the clause that you’ll step into the role of CEO should anything ever happen to me.”

Silence fell around the table. Everyone was still, watching him. Pepper looked _stunned._

Smiling, Tony picked up his coffee mug again and then sat back in his seat. “I’ve given it a lot of thought lately. Done a bit of headhunting, trying to figure out who my successor is going to be. I’ve told you before, kids aren’t ever going to be a possibility for me. I always knew I’d have to choose someone. But, when I was thinking about it, I realized, well, it’s you.” He smiled over at Pepper, warm and open. “It’s always been you. I thought there’d be a legal issue, but actually, I’m capable of appointing my successor – you. For now, you'd be considered the President. You'd answer only to me, and maybe sometimes the Board, and you'd take on the duties I'd be willing to give you. Which, let's be honest, is everything.”

All the fight and fire had drained out of Pepper. With each word he said, her anger had faded, and there was a shocked joy that was slowly starting to take its place.  “Tony, I... I don’t know what to think. _President_? That's a lot of responsibility.”

“Consider it training,” Tony said. Ignoring the other two – and the growing realization and sorrow in Magnus’ eyes – Tony smiled at her. “If anything ever happens to me, I'll at least know you'll be ready to step into my shoes as CEO. Besides, it’s not like you don’t do most of my job anyway.”

“ _Tony_.”

“Is that a yes?” Tony asked.

His smile grew as he watched her swallow, watched a shaky grin just _light up_ her whole face. One hand was pressed over her heart. “Yes.”

“Good.” Eyes crinkling with the force of his grin, Tony picked up his coffee mug and held it out to her. He waited for her to lift hers up and clink it against his. “Congratulations on your promotion, Pep. Now you’ll finally get the recognition you deserve for doing a job you’ve already been doing the whole time. Mazel tov.”

* * *

Pepper stayed around for a little while longer. They enjoyed their breakfast, and Tony wasn’t surprised when Magnus pulled out a bottle of champagne to toast with. Tony grinned proudly the whole time. He’d known this was the right choice to make. Out of all the plans he had, all the decisions he’d made, this was the one he was most sure in. There was no one else that Tony wanted to hand his company over to if he didn’t make it out of this.

He wanted to be optimistic – to believe that he’d survive this. It was why Tony had let Alec talk him down from making her CEO to making her President. That way, if things did go right, Tony would still have his company and have a controlling hand in things, while also being able to give most of the work to Pepper. That way, his time would be freed to do more as Iron Man if he wanted. And if he didn’t make it… well, making the shift from President to CEO would be a whole lot easier than going from PA to CEO.

Pepper had earned this position, anyway. She was smart, sharp, and well suited to being in charge. She’d handled _him_ all this time, after all.

But eventually breakfast was over, and there were other plans that Tony had for his day. Ones that he’d been discreetly arranging with JARVIS via text throughout most of this celebration.

In trust blunt fashion, Tony grinned at everyone once the food was gone, and he clapped his hands together before loudly announcing: “I hate to cut this short, but we’ve actually got plans today. So! If you wanna go ahead and get the paperwork together, I’ll work on having JARVIS make the official announcement to the Board and the company, and we’ll get your Presidency all set to go. Bring the paperwork by tomorrow and we’ll make sure it’s all signed and squared away so if anything happens to me, there’s no doubt who’s left in charge.”

“Of course,” Pepper said easily. “Tony…”

Smiling, Tony leaned in and pressed a soft kiss against Pepper’s cheek, stunning her. Then he nudged her shoulder to convince her to start moving and let him out of the booth. “Go on, go get it all in order. Go call your family, share the news. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

It was far too easy to shuffle Pepper out the door after that. Tony attributed it to her still being in slight shock.

Once she was gone, he turned back to find that Magnus had already snapped the kitchen clean, and he and Alec were standing side by side and watching him. Though there were countless questions in Magnus’ eyes, he didn’t push, didn’t demand answers. Instead, he asked “Would you like us to go, too?”

“Nope. Well, yes, but take me with you,” Tony said. He drew in a breath and then let it back out, smiling. _It’s the right thing to do._ “There’re some people I want you to meet.”

* * *

It took some finagling to get the portal squared away. For obvious reasons, Tony couldn’t do it, and he couldn’t have Magnus set up a portal to a place he’d never been before. That meant that Tony had to do some quick work and figure out a spot near where he wanted to go that Magnus had been to before, and then have him portal them there.

Luckily, there were quite a few places in New York that Magnus knew well, and they found one not far from where Tony wanted to go.

“Are you going to tell me where exactly it is that we’re going?” Magnus asked once they stepped out of the portal.

Tony smiled softly; a gentle look that clearly surprised Magnus. “Like I said, I’ve got some people I want you to meet.”

The trio set out from their portal together. Magnus and Alec moved almost as if by some silent decision and put Tony between the two of them. It was one of those gestures that made Tony feel younger than he actually was.

That feeling only intensified a few minutes later. Once Alec must’ve recognized where it was they were going to. He knew that this was something Tony wanted to do – he’d helped Tony plan it out, after all. He’d helped plan out _all_ of this. But realizing that they were doing this _now_ , he leaned in a bit, nudging their arms together until Tony snuck a look over at him.

Whatever look was on Tony’s face had Alec’s own expression softening. Then, to Tony’s surprise, the other man crooked his arm and raised an eyebrow, a silent offer and dare rolled into one. Alec was teasingly falling back on a gesture that he’d clearly seen Tony make many times with him so far. One that Tony was surprised to realize had become a sort of comfort to him. The same way that he’d clutch at Magnus’ jackets when stressed, or relax under the firm pressure of Magnus’ palm against the back of his neck – holding on to the curve of Alec’s arm, feeling the strength there, feeling the steadiness of his presence, had become just as much of a comfort.

 _What would Dad think if he saw me now_? Tony thought to himself as he reached out and tucked not just one, but both hands into the curve of Alec’s arm. He drew in a breath that was just a bit shaky on the inhale, but steadier on the exhale. Holding on to Alec reminded Tony that he wasn’t alone. That they _had_ talked about this, and planned it, and Alec had approved of it. He’d seemed to think it’d be fine. That this was the right thing to do.

Tony knew his plans weren’t always the best. At least, not when they came to people. He didn’t do well interacting with people. Most of the time, he was _too much_.

But he and Alec had talked about all of this. They’d tried to plan the very best they could. And if the both of them had agreed on an idea, it couldn’t be that bad, right?

A soft “ _Oh_ ” from Magnus had Tony pulling out of his worried thoughts. The trio had stopped just to the edge of a sidewalk, thankfully leaving plenty of room for the other pedestrians to move around them. Tony looked over to find that Magnus had stopped and was staring ahead of him, a look of delight on his face. There was no need to turn and see what he was looking at. Even if Tony hadn’t recognized the area they were in, he still would’ve known. “Would you look at this! It’s like taking a step back in time!”

Smiling, Tony tugged on Alec’s arm to get him moving, and he gestured for Magnus to follow. “Come on. The inside is gonna be so much better, I promise.”

Together, they made their way across the street. The ‘closed’ sign hanging up on the Witching Flour didn’t deter Tony in the least. He just reached out for the door that automatically swung open at the touch of his hand. The instant he was inside, he loudly called out “Honey! I’m home!”

“And what time do y’ call dis?” Mickey called back to him instantly, accent deliberately thicker. He came out of the kitchen with a towel in hand – _oh_ , Tony caught sight of the bracelet Mickey was wearing, the feminine symbol pointing upward, and immediately corrected pronouns – and _she_ was mock glaring at Tony as she cleaned flour off her hands.

Her hair was up in buns today, and Tony grinned when he saw that she’d changed out of her work clothes and clearly dressed to impress. Mint skinny jeans, nude slouchy boots, a white and peach horizontal striped tank top, and a white sweater with the sleeves rolled up above her elbows. She’d even accessorized, adding a necklace with dangling mint colored stones, and a few silver and green bracelets on her wrists.

Still glaring at Tony, she stopped at the counter and put her hands on her hips, giving him a stern look. “Been here fo’ hours now, all dolled up, slavin’ over a hot stove, an y’ think y’r just gonna barge on in an claim y’r home?”

Alec was smothering laughter; Tony could tell. But the look he snuck at Magnus’ face was priceless. He was watching them with his eyebrows up high and his eyes a bit wide. His mouth was even hanging open a bit. Tony seriously wished he could get a picture of that to show to Raphael later.

Both Tony and Mickey lost their composure at the same time. Tony started laughing, and Mickey let out her husky laugh, too, and then they were moving at the same time to embrace one another. “Ah, it’s good to see y’, cher,” she said, tugging Tony in close, her accent back to normal.

Tony grinned at her when they pulled apart. “You look absolutely ravishing today, Mickey. I’m almost offended. You never get this dressed up to see _me_.”

“Well, y’ aint the High Warlock now are y’?” Mickey reached up and tweaked Tony’s nose, laughing when he jerked back. “I can’t help but look at y’ an see the po’ scrawny lil boy I first met.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. It’s not like _he’s_ anything special,” Tony said, rolling his eyes. He never quite understood why people acted like meeting Magnus was some sort of big deal. Sure, he knew that Magnus was important, and he was the High Warlock of Brooklyn, a powerful warlock. It was just – to Tony, he was also the guy who liked to eat Rocky Road ice cream straight from the tub, or who laid around in his underwear sometimes, and who talked to his cats like some people talked to their kids.

Still, Tony knew that meeting him was important to Mickey, and that she was definitely nervous. So he hooked his arm through hers and turned them to where Magnus and Alec were still standing, waiting on them.

 Mickey did her best not to show her nerves as Tony dragged her right up to Magnus and introduced her. “ _Babbo_ , I’d like you to meet one of my best friends, despite how much of a pain in the ass she is. This is Mickey.”

Ignoring Tony, Magnus put on his best smile and held a hand out to Mickey. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, my dear.”

“The pleasure’s all mine, believe me,” Mickey said, just a hint breathy. She managed to keep her composure enough to reach out and shake his hand, though, and her grin was huge, lighting up her whole face. “I’m Mickey St. Claire, an I’m goin’ by she/her pronouns today.”

Tony and Alec shared an amused look.

The grin Magnus wore grew. He drew her hand up, bending low enough to press a kiss against her knuckles. “Well now, how Anthony’s managed to keep such a charming creature to himself all these years – it’s quite the crime.” He winked, and Tony had to fight not to laugh at Mickey’s cheeks colored a darker shade of pink than the rest of her. Magnus straightened up and took a look around as he let go of her hand. When he looked back, his smile had shifted, showing the hint of dimples. “Judging by this beautiful establishment, am I to assume you’re the one in charge of those sinfully delicious treats that Anthony brings home?”

“Laying it on a little thick?” Alec interjected, tone dry.

Magnus shot him an incredulous look. “Have you tried her food, Alexander?”

One corner of Alec’s mouth quirked up in a grin that held just a touch of smugness to it. “I’ve eaten it fresh, actually.”

There was every chance those two were going to start a good bicker if Tony let them. They seemed to like doing it way too much. To try and cut it off before it got started, Tony rolled his eyes and turned his focus to Mickey to ask “And where’s _your_ possessive half at?”

Delight had Mickey’s lips curling up. Not just at Tony’s teasing, but at the mention of Gwaine. No matter what else was going on she always smiled anytime someone mentioned her partner. Even after all their time together. It was sickening in some ways. Tony would never tell them how sweet he found it.

“They’re all in the Hoard,” Mickey said. “We had t’ meet up there before dawn anyway, so Saffron decided to keep it closed fo’ the day, yeah? At least there we can go on upstairs an be more private than here, with all these windows.”

That meant that the group – after making sure the Witching Flour was locked, and grabbing a few containers from the kitchen – made their way out to the outdoor seating area between the stores. Alec hadn’t been back here last time, and Magnus had never been here, so watching their faces was a joy. They were clearly in awe of what they saw; not that Tony could blame them. He’d been back here countless times and he still loved it.

The outdoor seating area was made just as old fashioned as the buildings it connected, with stone benches here and there, and a stone fountain. With the fences and plants that blocked off both sides, only the gate opening up to the real world outside of here, it gave a feel of being inside a bubble of the past. Back when these older buildings were still new, and man hadn’t taken over most of the planet. When there were places like this all over, full of bushes and herbs, flowers and trees.

Mickey easily navigated the path in front of her, leading them towards the other building.

As they walked, Magnus leaned in to bump his arm against Tony’s shoulder. “You, my dear, are in so much trouble for not sharing this with me sooner,” he teased.

It was easy to smile and laugh back here. To look up at Magnus and just, let go of some of the worries that were hanging on him, at least for this small moment. “You’re here now, aren’t you?”

Tony’s own teasing only made Magnus grin even more. He, too, seemed to be relaxing into the late morning air here. “Oh yes. And I most definitely will be coming back here again, quite soon. I think I’d like to get the whole experience.”

“Y’ should see it in the summertime,” Mickey called back to them. She turned around, walking backwards with ease, and flashed a bright grin. “We keep longer hours den, so the vampires and others can come. It means callin’ in help for the mornin’ shift, _mais_ it’s worth it. Everythin’ out here jus’ lights up, yeah.”

“If I’d thought about it, I would’ve set up a nighttime meeting,” Tony said, his tone a bit heavier with apology. It would’ve made more sense to bring everyone together at night so there wouldn’t be any risk for Gwaine or Elara. But, Pepper had been there, and Tony was on a roll, taking care of a few items off his to-do list. Big ones, too. It only seemed smart to go ahead and take care of this one next.

The look Mickey gave him was full of warmth and a love that still made Tony want to squirm sometimes. Even after all these years, knowing that the people here loved him was one thing, accepting it was something else entirely. He didn’t know how to do that. Not with the ease with which they seemed to give it.

Mickey stopped just long enough for the distance between them to close. Then she curled a hand over Tony’s cheek, and leaned in to kiss his forehead. “Don’t y’ worry about us none, _mon petit lapin._ Day or night, it don’t matter. We’re always gonna be there for y’.”

She didn’t give Tony time to react to that. Most likely because she knew him far too well. With a final pat on his cheek, she turned and started forward again, moving towards the arbor just up ahead that led to the side entrance for the Dragon’s Hoard. She opened up the wooden door there and then, with one last flash of a smile at them, she let herself inside, leaving the trio to follow her.

Tony went in first, with Magnus on his heels, and Alec following after.

Stepping inside was enough to make Tony want to smile. This store had to be, by far, one of his favorite places to go. The atmosphere here was enough to relax him the instant he came inside.

There were rows upon rows of books, not just on the bottom floor but up on the second floor as well, the top open to the bottom with only the staircase against the far wall and a walkway in the middle to break it up. All the bookshelves were done in dark wood, and they were almost always decorated with various things. Currently, the place was overflowing with various plants, filling the air with the scent of herbs and flowers and a burnt-spice smell that always seemed to be there. A few tables were spaced out here and there, and back in the far left corner of the store was the reading nook that Tony had spent plenty of time curled up in.

Over at the front of the store was a large mahogany counter. It held an old metal register, in front of which sat a sign that read _Shoplifters will be fed to the wolf_.

And speaking of said wolf – the door had barely shut behind Alec when Tony heard a skittering of nails on stone, then the clattering of them on wood. Tony had just enough time to say “Ah, shit” and then shove the dish he was carrying at Mickey, who was already taking a step back and laughing.

Those skittering, scratching sounds got closer, and Tony swore as he started to shamelessly scramble up onto a nearby chair, using that to try and climb his way up towards the waist-high bookcase nearby. “Oh no you don’t!” he cried out as the familiar sight of one of his favorite wolves came into view. She was smaller than most, yet still big compared to actual dogs, and was a beautiful smoky grey color. Her fur was so many different shades of grey, it truly gave her the look of smoke as she moved, so fluid and agile. Aella gave him a wide doggy grin, all fangs and lolling tongue, and then she was leaping, flashing just a hint of her pure white belly.

Tony let out a sound that was _not_ a squawk, thank you very much, and he gave up trying to climb on the shelf and just leapt over it. The instant his feet were on the ground, he was running, twisting and turning his way through the store with the sound of Aella on his heels, and the laughter of his friends ringing all around him.

There was no way Tony was going to be able to escape her for long, he knew. Just like he knew that she pretty much let him win, right up until the moment that they reached the reading nook. There, with the nest of pillows and soft carpet, Aella finally pounced and took Tony down, sending them both sprawling into the pillow pile. Tony grunted, scrambling to try and push her off of him, or get away, only to have her pin him down and start _licking his face_.

“Ugh. Stop it! Stop it, you mangy mutt!” He pushed at her chest, twisting his head this way and that, to no effect. “Damn you, Aella, quit licking me! I’m not your _pup_!”

Her rough, barking laugh showed just how phased she was by his words.

The laughter from everyone else made it clear they were going to be no help. Tony wasn’t getting out of this. Grumbling under his breath – a pretext towards anger they all knew he didn’t really feel – he finally submitted to her ministrations and let her lick along his cheek and neck and even sniff behind his ear until she was satisfied.

Whatever she tasted, or smelled, must not have satisfied her, though, because she whined and shoved her nose up under his chin. The hold she had on him gentled, leaving Tony free to shift a little and look up at her. Her ears had gone down, and her eyes were heavier, watching him with clear concern.

Tony stopped pretending to be annoyed with her, and he sighed. One hand came up so that he could scratch behind her ear and down, over the curve of her jaw. “I know,” he said, sighing softly. There was no point in denying whatever it was she’d discovered. “I got a lot of explaining to do today.”

That was one of the points behind today’s get-together. Telling everyone here what was going on, at the same time that he introduced them all to Magnus and Alec. This group of people, they were going to need one another if something happened to Tony. They’d need to be able to help one another. Tony needed to know that there’d be someone to look out for them if he wasn’t around to do it anymore. There was no one better for that job than Magnus.

* * *

Everyone else was waiting upstairs when Tony and his family finally made it up there. Aella had stayed at Tony’s side the whole way up the stairs; her weight was a steady comfort and support against his leg. Once they got upstairs, Tony saw that a space had been cleared out, an alcove up here that was usually a reading nook that held a couple of chairs and more bookshelves. Those shelves had been moved, the windows here blocked off, and two couches had been stuffed into the space, along with a large stuffed chair. In the center was a coffee table where Mickey had already set her treats, and two pots waited. Tea and coffee, Tony imagined.

The big chair was taken up by Gwaine, who had opened his arms to accept Mickey down into his lap. One of the couches held two of the women who held a very important place in Tony’s heart.

As soon as they got close, one of the women pushed up from the couch to greet them. She was tall, probably close to Magnus’ height, with a soft, full figure, and mossy green eyes that had a way of making Tony feel like she could see straight down into him – and that she never had a problem with what she saw. Saffron was one of the kindest women that he knew, and absolutely beautiful, especially when she gave him that slow, easy smile of hers. “Antonino, it’s good to see you.”

Tony stepped away from Aella long enough to take the hands that Saffron extended his way. She wasn’t always up for touching or being touched, so he generally waited on her cues. When she went ahead and pulled him in, he hugged her back easily, smothering his smile against her shoulder. The instant her arms were around him, Tony sighed a little, letting himself sink down into her embrace. He _loved_ hugs, and while she wasn’t always in the mood to give them out, when she did there was no one who hugged quite like Saffron.

Eventually, the two pulled back. Tony didn’t let her go far, catching her hands in his again. He held on and drew her hands out to either side as he gave her a once over. She was in a black and grey peasant skirt, a long white tunic, and had pulled a striped dark and light grey cardigan over it all. Dark hair was drawn into a loose braid that hung down her back. Taking her in, a warm smile curved Tony’s lips. “Look at you. Looking gorgeous as always, my dear.”

The light blush that touched her cheeks made him chuckle. For someone who was always willing to hand out compliments, she wasn’t the best at taking them, which naturally meant that Tony gave them as often as he could.

A snort came from behind her. Tony looked up just as Elara rose from the couch, eyes sparkling with mischief.

Elara, a vampire old enough that even Raphael respected her, was grinning right back at him. Green eyes were set in a heart-shaped face, with high cheekbones and a pale complexion that gave her a delicate look, despite the fact that she was almost as tall as Saffron. Dark hair was cut short in a pixie-cut, showing off all the silver and gemstone rings in her ears.

Even when she was clearly dressed for comfort that day – yoga pants and a loose t-shirt – Tony dared anyone to think that she wasn’t dangerous. It’d be to their own detriment. She might look like the epitome of _soft_ in that moment, but Tony knew better. He knew just how quickly her anger could be ignited, and just how fiercely it burned. She was kind, and sweet, and unfailingly loyal, and a powder-keg that would set off without hesitation under the right circumstances.

Tony adored her.

Whereas he tended to be easier with his teasing with Saffron, he was exact opposite when it came to Elara. Their barbs were sharp, quick, and oftentimes shouted at one another, and they loved every minute of it.

“What’re you snorting at?” he asked, flashing her a cheeky grin. “Jealous, sweetheart?”

Elara gave another snort, louder than the last one. She bumped her shoulder against Saffron when she reached her, and Saffron smiled and shook her head, ducking back just enough to let the two come together. They squared off, Tony with his arms crossed over his chest, and Elara with her hands on her hips, glaring down at him. “Jealous of what? Being flirted with by a toddler? Thanks but no thanks.”

Tony’s grin grew even wider. “You know you love me!” He unfolded his arms and reached up, cupping her face in his hands to make it easier to pop up and give her a loud, smacking kiss.

To the amusement of those watching, Elara made a show of bending down to wipe her mouth off on his shirt, earning a laugh and a shove from him that she didn’t even pretend to be moved by. _Brat_.

The soft sound of his father’s laughter reminded Tony that he wasn’t here alone. This wasn’t just a social visit, either. They were here for a purpose.

It was easy for Tony to fall back on the things that his mother had taught him as a child. Being a ‘proper host’ was something that she’d drilled into him from a very young age. It didn’t matter that this wasn’t his home, and that he wasn’t the one that was technically receiving guests. He knew how to step into the role and take control of a situation. Doing it now was as easy as breathing.

He gestured Magnus and Alec forward, and drew them in, making them a part of the group rather than separate from it. “Come on guys, come meet some of my closest friends.” With one hand, he gestured to each person as he spoke their name. “You’ve already met Mickey, and that’s her partner, Gwaine. Don’t mind him, he’s a bit of a grumpy asshole. You get used to it, though.” Tony winked at him, which only made Gwaine roll his eyes, and then moved on to the trio of ladies that were now standing together. “And these beautiful beings here are Elara, Saffron, and Aella. They’re the owners of this amazing store. Ladies, this is my _babbo_ , Magnus, and my _patrigno_ , Alec.”

Magnus put one arm in front of himself, and one behind him, and then bent down into a formal bow that was only broken by his cheeky grin. “It’s an honor to be meeting you all after Anthony’s shamelessly kept you to himself all these years.”

“The honor is all ours, High Warlock,” Saffron said respectfully.

Elara flashed just a hint of fang in her grin. “It’s nice to finally put faces to names. We’ve heard plenty about you. The both of you.” The way she tacked on that last bit, the slightly suspicious look that she flashed Alec’s way, those made it clear the things that they’d heard might not be the most positive.

They had to give Alec credit, though. The man was standing at attention beside his partner – hands clasped behind his back, spine straight, shoulders squared. Yet he wasn’t armed, he wasn’t glaring, and the only discomfort that Tony could read off of him was the discomfort at being around so many people he didn’t know. Yet he was still here, standing proudly with Magnus and Tony, and the trust that showed went a long way in the eyes of everyone else.

Aella, who had been silently watching in her wolf form this whole time, huffed as she pushed her way between them all. She clearly wasn’t happy with them just standing here and talking. Tipping her snout down, she used the top of her head to shove at Tony’s leg, forcing him towards the empty couch. Amidst the laughter of his friends, Tony found himself pushed down into the corner seat, closest to the chair where Mickey and Gwaine were still cuddling together. Aella must’ve been satisfied with his position. She nodded her head firmly, and then proceeded to shove her way between his legs and sit down, her head dropping to rest on his thigh in easy reach of his hands.

“I think someone’s making sure you don’t run away without telling us what’s going on,” Elara said, smirking. She and Saffron went back to their seats, while Magnus and Alec came to join Tony on the couch. They put Magnus beside him, leaving Alec on the open end.

Looking around the alcove at this group of people that he loved, it was hard for Tony to find his voice again. One would think it’d get easier, saying all of this. He’d said it a few times now so far. He’d told his family, and their friends. Yet, looking at his friends, it wasn’t any easier. The words wouldn’t quite come. Tony knew that he had to say this, that telling them was the right thing to do. It just… he had no idea how to do it.

Magnus slid his hand down and laced his fingers together with Tony’s.

It gave Tony strength. Holding on to him allowed Tony to reach down into himself and grab hold of the courage that had gotten him this far. He didn’t try to hide behind his masks the way he had when he’d told the others. That wasn’t necessary here. Instead, he clung tightly to Magnus with one hand, and he reached out with his other hand to card his fingers through Aella’s fur. Then he looked at his friends and he gave them the truth.

“I don’t want to lie to you guys or keep secrets. I’m not… I’m not here to tell you guys about this so that you’ll try and fix it for me. I’ve already got brilliant minds working on that. I just, I didn’t want to lie, and I didn’t want you to be hurt if you found out later after things went… wrong.” With one final, deep breath, Tony looked from one face to the next, and he said the two words he knew would send them all into a panic. “I’m dying.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of the movie finally kicking in during this chapter :)
> 
> Introducing - Natalie Rushman

Telling his friends had gone about as well as Tony had expected it to. None of them reacted well. Mickey spent the next hour scolding Tony for keeping things quiet, all while gathering up tons of treats and mixes for Tony to take home to eat that would help boost his health. While she did that, Gwaine hovered, going silent and brooding yet staying close to Tony and Mickey. Saffron, Elara, and Aella, who had shifted to her human for, dove into talk of potions with Magnus, comparing notes and making up suggestions on ways they might be able to improv what he was already giving Tony.

By the time they left, Tony was exhausted, work was calling him in, and Magnus had a list of ideas to try as well as a new set of phone numbers in his phone.

“You have wonderful friends,” Magnus told him once he’d portaled Tony home. “They love you, my dear. We all do. Just… keep that in mind.”

He did. Tony definitely kept that in mind at all times. He carried it inside of him where it could chase away the chill that he felt every time he had to don his masks and step back into the mundane world; a world where most people had no idea who he really was. Not even just that he was a warlock – they had no idea who _Tony_ was. All they saw was the Stark name, the playboy, the billionaire. The guy who threw parties and got drunk and slept with supermodels. The airhead who’d paid so little attention to his own company he hadn’t even noticed when he was being screwed over.

Here, in this world, there were a select few that knew anything about the real Tony. Just a handful of them – Pepper, Jim, Happy. They were the only ones Tony could count on to look at him and see _him_.

But in his other life…

At first, it’d been only Magnus and Catarina that Tony had counted on over there. Raphael had been added as Tony grew. No matter what happened, Tony knew he had that trio there for him, always ready to have his back. Then he’d met Mickey, and Gwaine, and then Saffron, Elara, Jada, and Aella, and while they didn’t know everything about him, they knew enough that he counted them in his close circle of friends.

Now? Now Tony’s circle had expanded even more. He didn’t have just a handful of friends there to support him or to fall back on when things got hard. He had a _family_. A _large_ family. Alec, Jace, Isabelle, Clary, Simon. Even little Madzie, despite Tony barely having dealt with her so far. She was Catarina’s daughter in every way that mattered. That made her and Tony cousins.

For the boy who had always felt so alone, it was mind-boggling to think of just how many people he had in his life now.

Which was why, in true Tony fashion, he pushed it all aside and refused to think about it, and then went and set up some time with Happy just because he hadn’t been spending enough time with his mundane friends lately. Of course, if any of Tony’s family knew about what exactly it meant to spend time with Happy, he knew he’d be in a lot of trouble.

But, Tony woke up feeling pretty good the next day, and the potion that Magnus brought him helped a whole lot more than normal, leaving Tony feeling a bit energized. So when Happy pointed out that they hadn’t done any training lately, well, who was Tony to say no?

* * *

Boxing with Happy was one of Tony’s favorite pastimes. Even when he wasn’t at his best, it was still a good time. The two of them had more than a little fun with the chance to hit one another and throw out taunts they wouldn’t dare do anywhere else. Despite the aches that Tony was feeling, he was grinning as he and Happy circled one another again.

They’d only been playing around for about fifteen minutes when they were interrupted. Pepper came walking into the room, the wards Tony had up in the hall letting him know about her arrival before she reached him. He didn’t let it stop him. Even when she called out something about a notary, Tony didn’t look away from his friend. “I’m on Happy time!” he shouted out. It didn’t make her leave, of course, but it did work to distract Happy enough for Tony to get a hit in.

Listening to his friend berate him for ‘dirty boxing’ just made Tony grin.

They were just about to go again when Tony felt something tugging against his wards. Then Happy was straightening up, eyes going off into the distance, and Tony turned around in just enough time to see a gorgeous redhead come walking into the room.

She stopped in the doorway in a move that Tony himself had done variations of plenty of times. A brief pause, hip cocked, head lightly tilted – a ‘look at me, I’m gorgeous’ pose. One that she finished off by ducking her head down and turning deliberately away, moving to go stand by Pepper.

Whoever this woman was, she was beautiful, she _knew_ she was beautiful, and she was clearly _dangerous_.

She was also a Shadowhunter.

Oh, the glamour on her was good. Really good. It wasn’t typical Shadowhunter glamour; Tony would’ve been able to see through that without thought. No, this was a magical glamour. One that _almost_ hid what she was from his sight. But Tony had been trained by some of the best. He didn’t need to see her runes to know. All he had to do was feel the magic that clung subtly to her skin. The touch of another warlock’s magic, and that ever-present Shadowhunter energy. The hint of the divine that clung to all of them.

What the hell was a Shadowhunter doing here, dressed like some secretary, standing there looking at paperwork with Pepper? _Nothing good_.

Pepper was saying something, and Happy gave a playful tap to the back of Tony’s head. Those were enough to snap Tony back out of his thoughts. “Lesson one,” Happy told him, pointing a glove at him. “Never turn your back…”

A quick twist and kick sent Happy flying back into the corner. Tony was on him a second later, giving a few quick blows that were more of the ‘dirty boxing’ that Happy so hated. As soon as Tony drew back, his friend put on a disgruntled look as he threw up his hands. “That’s it, I’m done!”

 _Perfect_. Tony was free to turn his attention to this newest development.

Every move was calculated as Tony grabbed his water bottle and turned himself to face their onlookers. He held up a finger and pointed over at the new girl. “What’s your name?”

“Rushman. Natalie Rushman,” she called back. There was just the faintest hint of _something_ to her words. An accent, maybe? Or maybe it was just the taste of the lie. Because there was no doubt in Tony’s mind that that wasn’t her name.

Curiously, Tony tilted his head, and he mentally debated what to do here. Calling her out on her bullshit would be fun, there was no denying that, but it wouldn’t give him answers. And Tony desperately wanted those. He wanted to know what a Shadowhunter was doing here trying to infiltrate his work. Alec wouldn’t have sent someone in like this. Not without talking to Tony first. So, why was she here?

 _Only one way to find out. This oughta be interesting._ On the inside, Tony grinned. On the outside, he kept his face even and gestured her forward. “Front and center. Come in to the church.” With that order, he turned his back on her, wanting to make it seem like he wasn’t the least bit concerned. None of his inner worry showed through. It wasn’t easy, pretending that it didn’t make his stomach roll or his muscles clench to turn his back on a clear, unknown threat.

Pepper didn’t hesitate to protest. “No, you’re seriously not gonna ask her…”

“If it pleases the court. Which it does,” Tony said, cutting her off. He watched as _Natalie_ brushed off Pepper’s protests, reassuring her it was fine, and then she made her way forward. Watching her move only furthered Tony’s suspicion about just how dangerous this woman was. Watching her play up those big pretty eyes, that glimpse of her cleavage when she ducked under the ropes, the tiny little smirk at her lips, it all served to verify just how much of a threat she was in other ways, too.

Sparring with her would get him nowhere. Not only that, but standing this close to her, Tony wanted absolutely nothing to do with putting his hands on her or having her hands on him. The idea made his stomach and magic both roil in ways he wasn’t quite sure he understood. He knew better than to question it, though.

Abruptly, Tony gestured towards Happy, not looking away from Natalie as he called out to Happy. “Give her a lesson, would you?” he asked. Then he was ducking out without giving anyone time to say a word and heading over to Pepper.

Time to get the cover story for what was going on here. “Who is she?” Tony murmured as he sat at Pepper’s side.

“She is from legal,” Pepper said patiently. “And she is potentially a very expensive sexual harassment lawsuit if you keep ogling her like that.” In other words – _She’s a honeypot._

This wasn’t the first time they’d dealt with a potential spy. A big company like Stark Industries? Spies were so commonplace that he and Pepper had worked out a whole system to deal with them. Hell, they had their own language for these things. The line about sexual harassment, adding in the word _expensive,_ made it clear what Pepper thought she was. Honestly, though, it only made Tony more curious. A Shadowhunter playing a honeypot on _him_?

Curiosity had Tony delving deeper.

Tony pulled up her name on the tabletop beside him, JARVIS already running her information for him, and he found all sorts of things that were almost perfectly designed to draw in someone of Tony’s persona. Oh, whoever had done her cover, they’d done it _well_. There were quite a few skills, multiple languages listed, and some gorgeous modeling pictures in skimpy clothes. All painting a picture of a beautiful, intelligent woman who wasn’t afraid to play a little. A type Tony had gone after many times in the past.

Tony slanted a look at Pepper, who was playing her part well, protesting his ‘ogling’ and making all the right noises. But in her eyes, Tony saw the worry that she hid from others. They both knew what this Natalie was. The only difference was that, whereas Pepper was unsure where Natalie came from, Tony was starting to get a pretty damn good idea who sent her, and that… that made him curious. Curious enough not to simply dismiss her the way that Pepper clearly wanted him to.

Pepper was giving Tony all the right signs, the right codewords, to let him know that she thought this woman was bad news, and she phrased it all in a way that Tony would be able to turn Natalie away without losing face. The blame would go on Pepper, just like they’d always worked it.

When Natalie took down Happy a second later in a move Tony knew no normal woman would ever know, it only confirmed what Tony was already planning. They weren’t going to just dismiss her. If Tony wanted to find out what SHIELD wanted badly enough to send in one of their Shadowhunter agents, they were going to have to keep her around.

* * *

That night Tony took the time to make a few important phone calls. The first one was to Alec, and it was more business than pleasure. Tony had JARVIS place the call for him while he was in rarely-used home office. Though the room was on the blueprints for the house, it was tucked away enough that most people wouldn’t see it at first glance, and he’d griped about it to Pepper enough times that even she believed he wasn’t fond of going in there unless he absolutely had to. It was the last room that anyone would look for him in, and yet one of the most secure rooms in the house.

Tony sat behind his desk and pulled up the wards around the office. Then, he leaned back comfortably in the plush leather chair and took a sip off the chlorophyll shake he’d made for himself. These, along with the potions that Magnus, Catarina, Mickey, and Saffron had all worked together on, were making his days quite a bit easier. Too bad none of them could make either drink actually _taste good_.

Once he was settled in, he rubbed a hand over his face. “JARVIS, throw up the usual security around the place, Charlie-5-5-6, and then patch a call through to Alec for me, would you?”

“Security measures are in place, sir. I’ll place your call now.”

There were only a few seconds delay before the hologram sprang to life on the top of the desk. Tony turned to smile at the image of Alec that was there. One look showed that Alec was in his office, too, seated behind the desk. He’d answered the call on their own version of holograms, at least from Tony’s understanding of their technology. Part of him wanted to get in there and take a look at things. Poke and prod and see how it all ran. Getting into their systems was one thing – Tony was only able to access _data_ like that. He couldn’t manipulate things the way he could with others, or play with their programs, or do a lot of the stuff he was used to. He really, really wanted to get in there and get his hands dirty.

Right now wasn’t the time for that, though. Tony pushed those thoughts away and pulled his focus back. “Evening, _patrigno_. Looks like you’re still hard at work over there.”

“Not for much longer,” Alec said, giving Tony a smile in return. He sat back in his seat and actually relaxed a bit. That, more than anything else, told Tony he was alone. “I’m just wrapping up a few things and heading home.”

“Think you got a moment to spare?”

Though Alec didn’t sit up, his eyebrows drew down, and his eyes narrowed. “Always. What’s going on?”

Having that laser focus on him was just as effective through a video call as it was face to face. There was this way Alec had of looking at a person in important moments like this that made it clear that they had his full attention. Though it was strange, right at the moment Tony really appreciated it. He liked knowing that Alec was going to give this the attention it deserved.

“You alone?” Tony asked. Despite having a guess at the answer, he still wanted to check.

Alec nodded slowly. “I am. But give me a second.” He disappeared from view, leaving just an empty chair and the window behind it on the screen. Not even twenty seconds passed before he was slipping back down into his chair. Only this time, Alec didn’t sit back. Instead, he set his stele down on the desk, crossed his arms, and then leaned his weight on them. Sharp eyes were fixed right on Tony. “There. I put up a few runes and made sure no one can listen in.”

One corner of Tony’s mouth curved up. “Smart and gorgeous – hell of a combination.”

He was rewarded with a light flush coloring Alec’s cheeks. “Shut up,” he grumbled, eyes darting down and away for a split second. Then they were back, right on Tony again. “What’s going on, Tony?”

“What do you know about an organization called SHIELD?”

The only sign of Alec’s surprise were a few extra blinks. The rest of his face gave away nothing at all; it was kind of impressive. “Both more and less than I’d like.” Alec paused, as if debating what his answer would be, or choosing his words carefully. “They work on a more global scope than our Institutes do. Some people consider them the elite – very, very few get chosen to go join. Other groups consider them more like… one step away from being deruned. No one knows what exactly it is that they do, though. It’s all kept pretty quiet.”

“Yeah, they don’t exactly tell the mundane world what they’re doing, either,” Tony said dryly. He took another drink off his shake, grimacing at the flavor of it, just to give himself time to try and choose his own words. He had to be just as careful as Alec was. “SHIELD is… unique. My father – Howard, not Magnus – was one of the people who helped build it. Originally, it was a group made up entirely of Sighted mundanes. People who’d seen or been touched by the Shadow world and couldn’t just walk away. So they got together, and they made a plan to study and to understand, at least as best as I can figure. I don’t know how, but somewhere along the way they got connected to the US military, and now they’re more of a military counter-terrorism and intelligence agency, tasked with maintaining both national and global security. They just do it for both the mundane world, and in a sense, for the Shadow world.”

“How did they get Shadowhunters to join, if they’re all mundane?” Alec asked. “I can’t see the Clave being okay with this.”

Tony shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t know. I mean, knowing SHIELD the way I do, there’s a pretty good chance they’ve got someone on the Council in their pocket. Multiple someone’s. That’s just how they work. They have people everywhere in the mundane world. Point is, they _do_ employ Shadowhunters now, and if I’m not mistaken, some Downworlders, too. Though they’re a lot more discreet about that, even with themselves.” Tony’s lip curled up just a bit. “Can’t let those two groups mix.”

“Why are you asking about SHIELD? Are they giving you trouble, Tony?”

“Not yet.” Though Tony wouldn’t give that long. SHIELD only seemed to know how to cause trouble. Having them in his business was the last thing he wanted. But, he wasn’t going to just let it go without finding out everything he could. “They sent in an undercover Shadowhunter to spy on me today. She’s good, too. If Magnus and Ragnor hadn’t been the ones to teach me about glamours, hers might’ve fooled me.”

Alec didn’t bother to hide his surprise as his eyebrows shot up towards his hairline. Then they furrowed down over narrowed eyes. “Glamouring her runes to come around you suggests they know what you are.”

The use of the term ‘what’ made Tony want to grimace. He knew Alec didn’t mean it like that; that didn’t make it any easier to hear, though. Nor did it stop him from sharply pointing out “What I am is a human being.”

A pained wince crossed Alec’s features. There was an apology clear in his eyes as he looked at Tony and said “You know I didn’t mean it like that, Tony.”

“I do know,” Tony agreed. “That doesn’t mean I’m going to let you get away with it. You’re so much better than most Shadowhunters I’ve met. I know you don’t look down on me just because of my species. But, language choices like that need to be changed just as much as behavior. People will have an easier time dehumanizing us as long as the language they’re taught follows that same trend.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry, Tony.” Alec looked honestly apologetic as he said it, too, which eased some of the bad feelings that had tried to build in Tony. It was like he said – he’d known that Alec hadn’t meant it like that. He hadn’t meant to be offensive. And there was every chance that Tony was being too sensitive about it, considering this was _Alec_ he was talking to, and Tony knew that Alec wasn’t speciest or racist or any of that. But… he couldn’t just ignore it.

Hearing the real and immediate apology that Alec gave helped a lot. As did the fact that he hadn’t even hesitated, hadn’t tried to make any more excuses. He’d just accepted Tony’s words and apologized for his own.

Smiling, Tony nodded. “Thank you.” That dealt with, he turned his focus back to the rest of what Alec had said, and what it meant. Any good feelings he’d gained back were washed away now on a wave of fear. Because Alec was right. Choosing to send in a Shadowhunter to spy on Tony, and then glamouring her runes beyond just a normal glamour, that meant they expected her to be around someone from the Shadow world who would have the strength to see through a normal glamour.

Tony had to fight to swallow down the lump in his throat. For the first time in a while, the urge to vomit didn’t come from the poison in his bloodstream.

It made sense. Tony wanted to deny that SHIELD knew, pretend that there was no way they could have figured it out, but a lot of things were adding up and pointing at Alec being right. _SHIELD knew_. The things they could do with that information… Tony felt his breath catch in his chest at the thousand of things that raced through brain.

He didn’t realize how much was showing on the outside until the sharp whip-crack of Alec’s voice broke through the haze of panic. All it took was a sharp, firm “Anthony!”

Blinking his eyes, his chest heaving, Tony’s eyes snapped up to the hologram in front of him. He found Alec sitting there the same as he’d been before. Arms still crossed on the desk, body leaned in towards him, only now the hazel of his eyes had gone darker and they pinned Tony in place with that aura of command that, so far, Tony had only seen come out when Alec was being the Head of the Institute. That look was there now, and it was surprisingly steadying. A firm ledge that Tony could grip to with just the tips of his fingers.

“Listen to me,” Alec said, voice as firm as his stare, and just as unwavering. “Pay attention to my voice. I want you to take a deep breath in for me.”

“I c-can’t…” God! Tony clenched his hands on the armrests of his chair as he tried to fight past the fear and the overwhelming urge to vomit.

Alec didn’t give him time to stutter out any more than that. “You can.” The words were full of conviction. They weren’t a question – they were a certainty. “One deep breath in, Tony. Come on, draw it in, that’s it. Breathe in, two, three, four. Now, let it out… two, three, four. That’s it, that’s perfect. Now, again.”

Little by little Tony let Alec coax him through his breathing until it felt less like his heart was going to burst right out of his chest. It was mortifying, breaking this way in front of him. Usually Tony would’ve bolted by now. He would’ve found a way to get away from anyone who might see him having a stupid panic attack. Or, JARVIS would’ve killed the video for him, claimed some sort of technical difficulty.

But Alec wasn’t acting like this was a big deal. He didn’t allow Tony the time to feel weak by it. Once he was sure that Tony was breathing regularly again, he praised him for it, like the act of _breathing_ was something worth praising. “There we are, Tony. Good job. Keep breathing for me – you’re doing great.”

Tony tugged at the armrests he was still clutching. Closing his eyes, he focused on Alec’s words and just the sound of his voice. It took another minute or so before Tony finally felt like he was mostly human again. The minute he did, he let out a shaky breath. “JARVIS?”

“The premises is secure, sir,” JARVIS answered promptly. “All security measures are still active, and no entities have been detected within a mile of the house. Ms. Rushman is currently with Ms. Potts at Stark Industries, and Director Fury is at the local SHIELD base with Agent Coulson discussing a potentially genetically modified vampire in Brussels.”

Good. That was good. Everyone and everything that he needed to worry about was accounted for. JARVIS hadn’t given Tony the usual run-down on where each family member was, but Alec was still here, and the last thing Tony needed was for Alec to know just how closely Tony monitored those that mattered to him. Though, judging by the way Alec was watching him when Tony finally opened his eyes, the man might be a little bit suspicious.

“Sorry,” Tony apologized. He slowly unclenched his hands from the armrests and brought them together in his lap, under the desk, so he could twist and click his fingers without it being seen. “The idea that SHIELD knows the truth about me isn’t exactly a pleasant one.”

“Do you think they’re a threat?” Alec asked.

A startled laugh burst from Tony. “Do you honestly believe they’re not?” He took in the surprise in Alec’s eyes, the way they narrowed afterward in clear confusion and deep thought, and it just made Tony want to sigh. “Alec, _patrigno_ , I get that you don’t really seem to know a whole lot about SHIELD, but you’re a bright guy. In what world would they ever be someone I trust? They’re a super-secret group of Sighted mundanes and ex-Circle members that go around meddling in the affairs of the Shadow world and the mundane world alike. They manipulate the government, probably your precious Clave, too, and hunt down all the bad guys that both sides of the world like to pretend don’t exist.”

“I’m not saying they’re good,” Alec protested. “But… aren’t they just trying to help?”

Tony shook his head. “I know you don’t believe that. You’re smarter than that, Alec. These guys… I’ve been in their systems. I’ve seen the things they’re involved in. And yeah, they do some good, I won’t deny that. They do a lot of good. But their methods? The things they’re willing to do to get it done? I won’t ever get behind those.”

That was why Tony fought so hard to keep them away from quite a bit of his technology. There were things that he couldn’t stop them from trying to copy, but there were definitely things he didn’t want falling into their hands. Already, he’d had to mess with some stuff in their systems when it became clear they were trying to do their best to recreate some Stark weapons.

SHIELD was, first and foremost, a _military_ group. A spy group, sure, and one that was deeply connected to the Shadow world, but still a military group. That meant that weapons, guns, things like that, were often their first choice in handling a situation. Tony refused to arm them for that.

“You know,” Tony said slowly, thinking it through even as he spoke. “If they really do know about me, they’ve probably known for a while. It doesn’t make sense to try and push me about it _now_. The timing behind this, it’s too coincidental. It has to be about Iron Man. That’s the only thing that makes sense. I mean, I haven’t exactly been shy about being him, and SHIELD wanted me to be secretive about it. They had a whole speech for me to say about it being a bodyguard who wore the suit. I blew that out of the water when I told the world I was Iron Man.”

He watched as Alec shook his head, a fond smile tugging at his lips. “Of course you did.”

Flashing a grin of his own, Tony kept running through his thoughts, trying to piece it all together. The panic was almost completely gone now that Tony’s brain was going. “It’s hard enough sometimes hiding one part of my life. I didn’t want to hide something else. But… what would SHIELD gain about Iron Man by sending someone in to spy no me?”

“Maybe they hope she’ll be able to gather information on the suit? I get the feeling it isn’t something other people can make.”

No, the suit wasn’t really something people could do. The video at the Senate hearing the other day proved that. There was no one out there even close to coming up with a working Iron Man suit. Not only the design, but the repulsor technology. The arc reactor that powered it… _oh_. “The arc reactor.”

“What?”

“The arc reactor,” Tony repeated. He felt both thrilled and horrified with the new information. And angry. So very _fucking pissed off._ “The arc reactor is light years beyond anything that anyone else can make. No one could even copy my dad’s design for it, and I not only managed to make another one, I made it miniaturized while in a cave with some old bombs and a box of scraps. The things it could be used for are limitless. Green energy, weapons… they could do so much with it. But did they really think sending in some spy would get them access to it?”

The two fell quiet as they both thought about it. Tony was trying to think of how they really expected Natalie Rushman to get close enough to him to steal info on the arc reactor. Were they hoping that he was going to be stupid enough to sleep with her and, what? Leave out information once he passed out from an orgasm?

“Do you think they know you’re sick?” Alec asked suddenly.

Tony wanted to deny it, only he found that he couldn’t quite manage that. _Huh. That… actually makes a disturbing amount of sense_.

They were cut off from discussing it further when a knock sounded from Alec’s side of the call. He looked up just moments before a voice spoke. “They’re ready for you.”

Alec grimaced briefly. Then his expression changed, the masks of the institute Head going up, and Tony smiled a little. Despite how serious Alec now looked, when he turned back to Tony there was fondness in his gaze for those that knew how to look for it. “Sorry to cut this off, but I’ve got a briefing I need to get to. Try and play it safe for a few days, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I hear something back.”

“I’ll be on my best behavior,” Tony promised, holding up a hand in the Boy Scout sign despite knowing that Alec wouldn’t understand. Laughing at the eyeroll it got him, Tony drew his hand in and blew a kiss. “See you later, _patrigno_!”

JARVIS ended the call while Tony was still laughing.

* * *

Despite the way that he’d teased Alec, honestly, Tony had intended on trying to follow his advice. Be on his best behavior, not cause too much trouble. He had to cause some because he was Tony Stark, and if he started being perfectly behaved, people would wonder about him more than ever. But he _had_ planned on toning it down.

Of course, it didn’t work out like that. Going to Monaco to watch the Monaco 500 race – and subsequently deciding to take over for his driver and actually drive the race himself – probably wasn’t the smartest of plans. Or anywhere in the realm of _best behavior_. Neither was bringing Natalie Rushman along and hiring her as his new PA. Something which Pepper was sure to give him plenty of dirty looks for.

In his defense, the decisions might’ve been a bit stupid, but it wasn’t outside the norm for him. Tony probably would’ve gotten away with just a lecture or two, or an eyeroll from his family.

It was more the fight in the Iron Man suit in the middle of the track against an insane whip-wielding maniac… _That_ was a different story.

On the up side, Tony got to test out his new suitcase suit, which worked like a dream, and he eventually stopped the guy by pulling out the arc reactor that powered his whips and crushing it.

On the down side, the whole situation created a whole new set of problems for him to deal with. Tony had no time to rest from it. Not when his own arc reactor was burning out faster and faster, and he had to figure out who this Vanko guy was and how the hell he’d made his own reactor. Not to mention finding out why the bastard _tried to kill him_.

By the time Tony got back home he was more than ready to start yanking his hair out. He left Pepper in Monaco with a curt “I’ll call you once I know something” that he knew he’d have to apologize for later. Then, after a flight in the suit that only served to fuel Tony’s anger instead of calm it, he was finally inside the freedom of his own home. There, he let out a furious snarl and let go of the control he’d been keeping over his magic. It shoved out of him the way it’d been aching to do since Vanko had stepped onto that motorway.

“J, I want everything you can find on Ivan Vanko, and Anton Vanko,” Tony snapped, marching over towards the bar. His magic was crackling all around him with each step he took. The wards were up – thank God for JARVIS thinking ahead – and the windows were all blocked off to allow Tony to see out without letting anyone see in. That meant that Tony didn’t have to worry about who saw him as red magic twisted around his hands and bounced up in sparks each time his feet hit the ground. “I wanna know who he is, and how the hell he managed to make all that. And what he meant when he said his father is the reason I’m alive.”

The first glass of scotch didn’t dull the anger Tony felt. Nor did the second.

Time for more drastic measures. Tony grabbed the whole bottle and stormed off in the direction of his basement. As he walked, Vanko’s words echoed through his head, hitting him almost harder than any blow with the man’s whips. _‘And now, like all guilty men, you try to rewrite your own history. And you forget all the lives the Stark family has destroyed.’_

Dammit, Tony wasn’t trying to forget it! He knew just how screwed up the Stark family was. Fuck, he knew that better than anyone. But that didn’t mean that he couldn’t do _better_.

Tony pushed it all back when he reached the basement garage. He picked his favorite car out of the bunch, one with an open top, and dropped himself down into the driver’s seat. “Bring it all up here as you get it, J.” Tony huffed out a breath and slid down in his seat before he took another drink straight from the bottle.

“Sir, there’s a portal opening just outside the workshop.”

It took everything Tony had not to groan. Of course there was. _Of course_. Because why the fuck would he be able to get any time to sulk and be pissed off in peace about this? Tony sighed heavily. “Let him down here when he gets in. Hopefully he comes alone. I’m not really in the mood for anyone else right now.”

There was only a brief hesitation before JARVIS spoke again. “It would appear he brought Raphael with him. No one else, though. Would you still like me to send them your way?”

“Why not?” Lifting his bottle in cheers, Tony dropped his head back. “That’s just what I need, right? Another fight to round off an amazing fucking week.”

He didn’t bother sitting up while waiting for them. It took only minutes before the garage elevator opened and Magnus and Raphael came spilling out. Raphael didn’t waste any time – he hit the ground running. No sooner had the doors opened than Tony could hear his brother shouting out “ _Idiota_! What were you _thinking_ …!”

Tony cut him off before he could really build up speed on his rant. “I was thinking you can go suck a giant cock.”

The sharp, vulgar words worked like nothing else, silencing Raphael instantly. Tony had to fight not to let himself wince. Generally, he avoided using phrases like that with his brother. There were a multitude of other insults and sarcastic things that Tony could say that didn’t involve anything sexual at all. While Tony knew that Raphael had gotten more comfortable with himself and his asexuality, that didn’t mean that it was okay to make the kind of comments that Tony knew would make him uncomfortable.

Raphael really had every right to yell at him now. Which was why it came as a complete surprise when his brother, suddenly right there beside the car, spoke in that soft voice that only ever came out in private. “I’ll leave that to you,” he said gently, almost teasingly.

It was tempting to lean in towards that gentleness. Instead, Tony resolutely kept his focus forward, and he lifted the bottle for another drink to try and wash down the bitter taste of his own words. “Yeah, well, highly doubt that’s gonna happen anytime soon. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen any cock since before Afghanistan.”

Magnus had reached the car by then, and he didn’t hesitate to open the passenger’s door and slip down into the seat with the kind of grace that made Tony want to glower at him. “That’s a long time, little turtle.”

Hearing that affectionate nickname didn’t help soothe Tony’s mood. He knew why Magnus was using it right now – he could recognize old habits showing through in this moment, prompting him to hide inside the comfort of the car the same way he’d used to hide in cupboards or under beds when he was scared as a kid.

Tony tightened his grip on the bottle and glared out the windshield. “Not like it was really a _choice_. I can’t exactly explain the giant metal nightlight in my chest, and to be honest, I’m not exactly open to trusting someone behind me right now. Which, hey, I can get creative. I mean, a quick blowjob at a club wouldn’t be a problem. Only I doubt I could actually manage to suck anything without vomiting on someone, and while I can find someone with that kind of kink, it’s really not my thing.”

“I’m sure you’ll survive without a cock down your throat for a little longer,” Raphael said dryly. The words were rude, harsh, deliberately vulgar, and yet so non-confrontational, they made Tony snort.

The tiny twitch to Raphael’s lips showed he was pleased with that result. Then he was moving, too fast for Tony to track. He went from standing beside the car to sitting on the driver’s door, the window thankfully rolled down. His legs went across Tony like a seatbelt and his feet rested on the console between the two seats. It pinned Tony in even further and helped create that sense of being surrounded and _safe_.

The little sparks that kept crackling unnoticed by him from Tony’s fingertips started to fade away.

“I’ve gathered the information, sir,” JARVIS interrupted. When Tony made a ‘go on’ gesture with his hand, a holographic screen came to life in front of the car.

“You have holograms down here, too?” Raphael mocked, one eyebrow up.

Tony didn’t even look over, just waved a hand at him. He liked to come down here and sit in the cars sometimes and watch movies. Sue him.

“Anton Vanko was a Soviet physicist who defected to the United States in 1963. However, he was accused of espionage and deported in 1967. His son, Ivan, who is also a physicist, was convicted of selling Soviet-era weapons-grade plutonium to Pakistan and served fifteen years in Kopeisk prison. No further records exist.”

Of course not. Because why would any of this be easy? Groaning, Tony tipped forward and dropped his forehead against Raphael’s thigh.

He listened to the soft shuffle in the seat beside him. “Is this the one that tried to kill you yesterday?”

Tony didn’t bother looking up; he just nodded against Raphael’s thigh. “He had an arc reactor powering his whips. A goddamn arc reactor, _babbo_. Miniaturized, like mine. How the _fuck_ did he manage that?”

The bottle of scotch was slipped out of Tony’s hand. It was replaced a second later with warm fingers broken up by the cool metal of rings. Those fingers laced with his, giving Tony somewhere else to anchor himself down on. “We’ll figure it out.”

Tony really, really hoped he was right.


	7. Chapter 7

They spent hours down there discussing what to do. While he had them there, Tony also took the time to explain to them about Natalie Rushman, which only served to piss them off even more. Neither liked the idea of having a Shadowhunter spying on Tony. More so because, as Magnus pointed out, “A lot of the SHIELD Shadowhunters are ex-Circle members who didn’t have anywhere else to go, or are the kids of ex-Circle members.”

However, between the three of them, they were slowly starting to try and build some sort of plan to try and find out what was going on. Tony told them that Alec was looking into some contacts he had about SHIELD – and hadn’t Magnus looked _pleased_ when Tony said that he’d called Alec for help, a huge step for Tony. In the meantime, Magnus would reach out to _his_ contacts while Tony and JARVIS focused on Vanko.

Talking had helped to dull the sharper edge of Tony’s anger. Unfortunately, losing that edge lost Tony the cushion that comes with feeling so enraged. His use of the suit and his uncontrolled use of magic earlier were catching up to him, and Tony’s body was making it damn clear how little it liked what he’d put it through.

They’d moved to the workshop, and Magnus was using Tony’s supplies to brew up a quick potion to hold him over until they could give him the next one in the morning – too many, too close together was bad – while Raphael was propping Tony up by the toilet. The fact that he actually _needed_ Raphael to help keep him from falling down was mortifying. But the full-body aches kept Tony from doing more than slumping pathetically against his brother.

“I hate this,” Tony groaned out as he sat back after another wave of nausea swept over him.

Raphael swept a cool hand soothingly against the back of Tony’s neck. “You should take better care of your body, then.”

A low groan rumbled up Tony’s chest. He closed his eyes and let his head flop dramatically back against Raphael’s shoulder. “Go suck a skunk. I didn’t exactly ask Vanko to try and kill me.”

“No, but you put yourself in situations where you’re at risk,” Raphael pointed out. “You should have someone with you until this is solved.” He slid his hand around and then up until his palm rested against Tony’s forehead. The colder-than-normal skin felt so fucking good it was all Tony could do not to moan.

“Vanko’s in prison. I don’t think he’s that much of a concern.”

Raphael scoffed. “And who’s to say he won’t escape somehow? Or that it won’t be someone else who comes after you? That’s not even touching on the _Shadowhunter_ you’ve made your personal assistant.”

The sharp scolding in Raphael’s voice might’ve been enough to put anyone else’s back up. Hell, Tony knew if he were feeling more like himself he probably would’ve bristled at the tone and argued with Raphael just for the sake of arguing. It was _fun_. Right now? Right now, Tony was way too tired to fight. “Quit picking on me,” he whined instead. “I’m sick.”

As if to back that up, his stomach lurched, and Tony was forced to scramble forward again. He almost didn’t make it; Raphael had to use his own body to help push Tony’s up so that he could get over the toilet in time to heave once more.

This time, when they drew back, Tony slumped like a puppet whose strings had been cut. His joints ached, his chest was throbbing, and his throat felt like he’d been gargling gravel. Tony’s head lolled pathetically to the side. It pushed his forehead against Raphael’s neck, where Tony happily buried himself as he let out a sound that even he couldn’t deny was a whine.

That little sound had Raphael curling himself even more around Tony. “Is the potion ready yet?” Raphael demanded loudly.

“Just a minute!” Magnus shouted back.

Raphael growled lowly. Then he curled his hand over Tony’s head again and drew him in, tipping his own head so that he was pressing his lips against Tony’s hair in a gesture that was not quite a kiss. “Just a minute more, _hermanito_. Papa’s on his way.”

There wasn’t much Tony could do but just wait. He kept his eyes closed and just trusted his body over to his brother until they both heard Magnus hurrying towards them. Tony contemplated blinking his eyes open, only to give up on that thought. The light felt like it was burning the outside of his eyelids. He wasn’t about to risk burning his actual eyes. Instead, he just stayed where he was and let Magnus stroke gentle fingers over his cheek, coaxing Tony to open his mouth. “I put a straw in here,” Magnus said, fingers still running down Tony’s jawline. “Silly, I know, but you won’t even have to move, darling. Just open up and drink it all down as quick as you can.”

Tony’s lips quirked up into a faint smile at the idea of drinking down a potion through a _straw_. Still, he opened his mouth just enough for Magnus to slip the straw in, and then he followed his directions and drank it down as quickly as he could. To his surprise, either the flavor wasn’t all that bad, or the last round of vomiting had burnt off all his taste buds. Then again things were starting to get more and more of a burnt metallic taste with each passing day.

Idly, Tony wondered if he’d stop being able to taste anything but burnt metal by the time he died.

The potion Magnus made for him wasn’t as strong as the daily one that Tony took. Being just a pick-me-up, it had less power, less effectiveness. But it also worked a bit faster. In just moments the nausea began to fade away, and the body aches settled down to a more manageable level.

“Better?” Magnus asked softly, fingers still running over Tony’s cheek.

Tony smiled faintly and gave a low hum of agreement. While he wasn’t _great_ by any stretch of the imagination, he was _functional_ , and anymore that was really the best he could hope for. This was getting worse – they all knew it – and his time was becoming limited.

He refused to check his blood toxicity anymore. What was the point? He’d die either way. Obsessively tracking the numbers wouldn’t change it.

Neither Raphael nor Magnus seemed all that inclined to disturb the peace that seemed to have settled over Tony. Their voices were soft and careful when they warned him that they were going to move him, and then Raphael’s arms were there, lifting Tony up yet again, Magnus’ hand pressing against the back of Tony’s head to help keep him in place as they rose.

Tony let out another soft hum. His body felt cool and comfortable, and it would’ve been so easy to just stay here and fall asleep. Raphael would let him, he knew. The thought made Tony smile faintly. “You’re carryin’ me a lot lately.”

The slurred sound of his own voice probably should’ve bothered Tony. There was a heavy New York edge to it that, really, only came out in certain moments. It was one of the most natural sounds for Tony. One that Howard had hated to hear. Oh, God, he’d _hated_ it. Tony had been raised in a posh environment, sent to boarding schools, made to socialize with the elite. He knew how to talk in what Rhodey called his rich-boy-accent. Or, when he was feeling sweet, when he was comforting someone, when he was feeling love particularly strongly, he defaulted to the Italian accent his mother had spoken with.

But, at heart, Tony was a New Yorker. He was born and raised mostly in their main Stark residence in New York. Sure, he’d traveled other places, done other things, but New York was his home first and foremost. It was where he grew up. It was the city he’d explored when he’d slipped away from the house and roamed the streets. It was the sounds he’d grown up hearing when Jarvis took him to the park, and he played with other kids. It was right near where Magnus lived – his time there gave Tony a bit more of a Brooklyn edge to some things.

To Tony, New York was home. Brooklyn was home. And that part of himself tended to make itself known when he was truly relaxed or exhausted.

Raphael huffed out what was probably meant to be a mocking sound, though the careful way he was moving belied all that. “You keep falling asleep on me.”

“You’re comfy.”

“And you’re high,” Raphael shot back. They turned a little, going through the doorway, and then they were carefully straightened back out. Tony burrowed in a little, and Raphael made a low sound of amusement deep in his throat. “What was in that? I haven’t seen him like this since… well, years ago.”

“Just a few things to help relax him,” Magnus said. He leaned in close, brushing against Tony, and his voice turned a bit scolding and teasing all at the same time. “And don’t think you’re going to get out of telling me about the last time you saw him like this. I don’t recall any stories like that.”

They’d barely made it halfway across the workshop when JARVIS spoke up. His voice was just a bit hesitant and clearly unhappy with what he had to say. “Sir, Ms. Potts and Colonel Rhodes have arrived.”

It took a second for those words to really sink in. When they did, Tony groaned. He’d forgotten they were going to come by. There was so much damage control that needed to be done after everything that happened in Monaco. Things that needed _Tony_ to be able to happen. For one, brief moment, Tony let himself curl in a little tighter against Raphael, let himself soak up the love and comfort in that embrace. Then, even as Raphael was starting to growl out his name, Tony was drawing his head up and forcing himself to gather his wits. “Let ‘em in, J. And send Rhodey on down here.”

“Absolutely not,” Raphael protested immediately. “You need rest, Antonio. The rest can wait till morning.”

“No, it can’t, and you know it.” They all knew better. Each one of them in this room knew what it meant to be a leader. Sometimes, a good chunk of the time, that meant putting aside your own preferences to deal with what needed to be done. This? This was something Tony definitely had to deal with. It was a mess of his own making. He had to try and help fix it. “Set me down on the couch, Rafa. You guys need to go if you don’t wanna run into Rhodey.”

Raphael didn’t move. “If you think for one minute that I’m leaving you alone while you’re like this, you are far stupider than I believed you to be.”

“We’re not going anywhere,” Magnus chimed in. He put a hand on Tony’s shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze.

The fact that they weren’t leaving shouldn’t have been a surprise. Nor should it have been as meaningful as it was. In fact, Tony was pretty sure he should be protesting the idea of Jim and Raphael being anywhere near one another. They were both the perfect example of an overprotective older brother. Undoubtedly, they were going to spend a while peeing metaphorical circles around him to try and mark their territory. He could just see it now.

And yet… Tony had to once more bury his face against Raphael’s neck to hide the way his features softened or the stupid sheen of tears that he would vehemently deny until his dying day.

The universe proved just how much it loved Tony Stark by choosing that moment to open up the doors and send Jim on in. Because that was just Tony’s life. He heard the soft _woosh_ of the door followed almost immediately by Jim’s firm voice calling out to him “All right, Tony, you’ve gotta get upstairs and…what the hell?”

When Tony blinked his eyes open, he found that Raphael had turned them enough to be able to see Jim, who was standing just a few steps in the room – dressed in uniform, making it clear he’d rushed straight over here – and looking at them with surprise clear on his face. Tony offered him a weak smile. “Honestly, you gotta admit, you’ve walked in on worse.”

There was a reason that Jim had lasted as long as he had as Tony’s best friend. He had one brief moment of floundering, a few quick darts of his eyes to take everything in, and then his gaze settled on Tony’s face while his expression melted into the familiar fond exasperation. Jim snorted and rolled his eyes. “No kidding.” His eyes broke away from Tony to once more look at his guests. When Jim brought his eyes back to Tony, he arched an eyebrow. “You plan on getting down, or you just gonna hang out playing damsel in distress?”

“Don’t be sexist, platypus. Pepper’d kick your ass if she heard you talking like that,” Tony scolded him. With one hand he gave Raphael’s chest a pat while he spoke, trying to encourage his brother to put him down.

Naturally, Raphael ignored it. _Asshole_.

Tony lifted his head enough to give Raphael a narrowed eyed look. One that was given right back to him.

Beside them, there was a soft chuckle from Magnus, and then a consoling pat to Tony’s shoulder. Magnus stepped around the two of them easily and flashed a bright, charming smile at Jim. “Ignore them, please. Something about being around one another tends to make them forget their manners entirely. I’m Magnus, by the way, and I’m pleased to finally meet you, Colonel. Anthony’s told me so much about you.”

Jim straightened up just the slightest bit as he shook Magnus’ hand. His shoulder squared back, and his chin went up; it was the same way that Tony had seen him greet his superiors. It was a huge sign of respect from him. “I’ve heard a lot about you too, sir. Please, call me Jim.”

“Only if you call me Magnus.”

The two smiled at one another, and then Jim turned towards Raphael and Tony once more. “And you must be his big brother, Raphael.”

“Aren’t you the smart one?” Raphael said dryly. He didn’t move to put Tony down, or even pretend to smile at him. If anything, his lip curled up a little like he was looking at something particularly disgusting on the bottom of his shoe. There was no one out there who could do sarcastic or haughty quite like Raphael could.

Magnus and Tony both shot Raphael a warning look. However, Jim didn’t let them say anything in his defense, or against Raphael. He spoke up before they could. “I like to think so,” he said, not even looking away from Raphael’s face. “You gotta be if you’re gonna keep up with this one.” With that, he jerked his thumb towards Tony, a smile tugging at his lips even as he rolled his eyes and feigned annoyance.

There was a faint, barely-there twitch to Raphael’s lips. He didn’t say anything else, though. Just continued to stand there and hold Tony like it was no big deal. Which, okay, if Jim weren’t here, maybe it wouldn’t be a big deal. It was likely Raphael would’ve taken Tony up to bed, and Tony shamelessly would’ve tried to drag his brother down into the bed with him, at least for a little while. But, Jim _was_ here, and there was important business to be taken care of.

Tony lifted arms that felt a little too weak for his tastes, and he braced on the back of Raphael’s neck while clearly moving his legs in a way that let it be known he wasn’t staying up. Thankfully, Raphael didn’t push it. He just slowly bent down until Tony could lower his legs down to the ground.

Trying to ignore just how badly his body was shaking, and how exhausted and sore he still felt, Tony tried to distract them all by asking “How bad is it, Rhodey?”

For a second he wasn’t sure that his friend would let him get away with the evasion. They knew one another too well for most tricks to work. Yet, that also meant they knew when it was time to push, and when it was time to back off. For now, Jim backed off, ignoring just how heavily Tony had to lean against Raphael so as not to sink straight down to the ground, and he answered his question with the blunt honesty Tony loved.

“I’ve been on the phone with the National Guard all day trying to talk them out of rolling tanks up to PCH, knocking down your front door, and taking these.” One of Jim’s hands gestured behind him to where the suits stood in their display cases. Though his tone was stern, his eyes were apologetic. “They’re gonna take your suits, Tone. This whole mess gave them the perfect reason to come busting in here and seize them for themselves. They’re saying you told them they were safe for at least twenty years, and now this guy comes out with his own, and he caused some serious damage.”

“They can’t come in here and seize his personal property!” Raphael protested. He had one arm around Tony’s waist, holding him up beside him, and he tightened that grip like he was ready to whisk Tony away somewhere safe. Somewhere away from the people clearly threatening him.

It wasn’t Tony who answered that, or Jim – it was Magnus. “Yes, they can.” He sighed as he looked at Raphael’s incredulous expression. With a wave of his hands, Magnus began to lead Raphael and Tony over to the sturdy office chair at Tony’s desk. “If others are using this technology against them, and they can prove the threat, there are at least six different ways I can think of for them to legally seize the armor.”

Tony had to grip hard to Raphael’s arm as he was finally lowered down into the chair. The potion was still keeping the edge off, but, _Lilith,_ Tony was so tired. All of this, it was only making him more so, not just in body but in mind and spirit, too.

Once Tony was settled in the chair, Raphael stood beside him, arms crossed over his chest in an attempt to look as intimidating as possible.

To Jim’s credit, he didn’t flinch over Raphael’s glare, or even at the cautious look on Magnus’ face. All his focus was on Tony. “You look like shit.”

Tony laughed, low and a bit raspy from his sore throat. “You sure know how to flatter a boy, honey bear.”

“It got something do with that high-tech crossword puzzle on your neck?”

With everyone else in his life, Tony had either evaded, or he’d gone through some big, emotional thing where he’d had to tell his story and watch as they painfully reacted to it. But with Jim… with Jim, they’d never needed those big, emotional moments. He’d always teased Tony that he knew he was too emotionally constipated for those. So, unless Tony was really drunk, spilling out a sob story wasn’t likely to happen. In true _them_ fashion, Tony looked up and gave his best friend a crooked grin while he shrugged one shoulder. “Apparently a body was never meant to house palladium. Who knew?”

Magnus sucked in a surprised breath, eyes darting to Tony’s face and then over to Jim, while Raphael tensed even more – a feat which Tony hadn’t believed possible.

To their surprise, and Tony’s amusement, Jim only faltered for a split second. Just that one, brief instant as Tony’s words processed, eyes going distant while he took them in and put them into a context that made sense for him. As soon as it clicked, his eyes widened, and then they narrowed down on Tony. “I’m pretty sure doctors and scientists all over the world knew that, Tone.”

“Meh.” Tony waved a hand negligently through the air. He watched the twitch of humor around Jim’s lips, which did nothing to detract from the concern written all over the rest of him. The man was actually leaning towards Tony like he was fighting not gathering Tony up and checking him over himself.

Tony drew in a breath and felt another tug around his arc reactor. As much good as the potion had done, there was something else he needed to do to help himself, and there wasn’t any point in hiding it from these three. Tony’s hand shook only a little as he reached up underneath his shirt. At the same time, he used his chin to gesture to the side of his desk. “Grab that cigar box for me, would you?”

Three men moved at the same time to get it. Surprisingly, it was Jim who got there first, hands curling around the wooden box. He didn’t even give Raphael a smug look. He just stepped around him and brought it over to Tony, setting it down on the counter and opening it up. At the same time that he did that, Tony twisted the arc reactor just enough to click it out of his casing, and he gasped as he drew it free. There’d be a brief sixty-two seconds where his magic would attempt to hold on to the shrapnel, maybe longer with Magnus here.

Tony drew the arc out from underneath his shirt. Ignoring everyone for a moment, he twisted his hand, turning the arc back-side-up and pressing the mechanism that released the core.

“Is that supposed to be smoking?” Jim asked, the concern beginning to outweigh everything else.

Tony darted a look up at him, and then back down to the arc, trying to avoid looking at either Raphael or Magnus. “It’s neutron damage. It’s, ah, from the reactor wall.”

There were few people that Tony would’ve willingly handed this part of himself over to. Almost all of them were currently in the room. Jim reached out and took the arc, fingers coming up to grab the corroded and smoking palladium core. The thing was the shape of a baseball card, only about half the size, and was clearly damaged.

“ _Dios_ , Antonio,” Raphael breathed out.

Magnus came up to stand behind Tony’s chair, hands coming down to settle on his shoulders. There was a boost of magic in that touch that worked wonders to help stabilize Tony’s hold over the shrapnel.

“You had this in your body?” Jim asked. He was looking at the core, twisting it side to side to let them all fully see just how damaged it was.

The damaged core was handed to Tony, and a new one was put in before Jim handed the reactor back. Magnus kept his hands on Tony’s shoulders while Tony reached underneath his shirt to put the arc back in place. A few taps and a twist later and Tony was gasping as the energy from the arc merged with his own energy once more. It was like a shot of adrenaline pumped straight through his system.

Once that faded, he slumped back in his seat. Magnus kept a hold of his shoulders the whole time. When Tony leaned back, Magnus tipped himself down and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “ _Naga kecilku_.”

Tony lifted one hand up and crossed it over himself, laying it over Magnus’. He closed his eyes and pressed his face against Magnus’ arm, just breathing in the comfort that was being offered.

When Tony opened his eyes again, he found Jim was watching him with soft, worried eyes, and a faint smile on his lips. “What?” Tony asked. Why was he looking at him like that?

The small smile grew. Jim crossed his arms and straightened up, his posture regaining some of its natural ease. “I’m proud of you.”

Those words were the last thing Tony had expected to hear. In fact, he was surprised enough by them that he jolted back a little in his seat. _What the hell_? “I… what?” Squinting, Tony studied his friend’s face. “Did you get too close to the fumes? Are you high?”

Jim chuckled as he shook his head. “I’m proud of you,” he repeated. “I came in here worrying I was gonna have to kick your ass into accepting help, and you’re already doing it. You’ve got your family around you, ready to help you out, and you’re not hiding yourself or your problems, or drowning ‘em in alcohol. Like I said, I’m proud of you, Tone.”

 _Oh._ Embarrassment had Tony ducking his head down. That hadn’t been what he’d been expecting from Jim, and it left him feeling off-kilter. He liked to think he was getting better about things, but at the core, Tony had never been one for handling his emotions well or maturely. Now really wasn’t that different.

“ _Gross_.” Tony looked up at Jim, wrinkling his nose. “You’re being disgusting, and you’re giving me hives.” On legs that still weren’t quite steady, Tony pushed up to stand beside his chair, taking a second to steady himself before moving forward. He made shooing gestures at Jim as he walked past him. “Get out of here before you get your _feelings_ all over me. I’ve got more important things to do right now.”

“Annnnnd, now we’re back to normal,” Jim drawled out. “What’re you gonna do that’s more important than this, huh? Please tell me you’re gonna go upstairs and help Pepper handle this.”

The look Tony shot him was a clear _are you stupid_? Just the sight of it – such a familiar look between them – had Jim groaning.

Tony grinned. “Don’t worry, honey bear. Contrary to popular belief, I do actually know what I’m doing.” That said, he winked at his friend, and then looked over to Raphael and Magnus. “I appreciate your help, guys, but I’ve gotta go see a man about a snake. You can see yourselves out, right?” Turning, Tony walked backward toward the door, flashing them all a grin as he went. “I’ll be out tomorrow bright and early. I had Pepper cancel my birthday party here – I was thinking maybe we’d go out a bit tomorrow night, have some fun, hit the club a bit? Tell you what, we’ll talk about it tomorrow. Love you guys!”

The door opened behind him and, before they could speak, Tony was gone.

* * *

Jim watched him go, the worry that he felt for his best friend sitting like a tight knot inside his chest. There were few people in the world he knew as well as he knew Tony. He knew the kinds of things about him that very few were privy to. While their friendship might seem strange to most and made up of a lot of insults, it was strong. There was no one out there that Jim trusted more.

Which was why it was so damn heartbreaking to have witnessed the past ten minutes.

Staring at the door Tony had just run out of – and there was no doubt he was running away – it took everything Jim had not to chase after him.

“I don’t know much about palladium,” Jim said suddenly, breaking the silence that had fallen with Tony’s exit. “But I know enough to know it’s not good.” Turning, he looked to Raphael first – the vampire was completely still, like a marble statue – and then over to Magnus, who still stood behind the chair Tony had been in.

Magnus looked exactly like Jim had expected him to, and yet nothing at all like that, either. He was bright, beautiful, and a bit sparkly as Tony insisted he always was. Tony liked to say that Magnus didn’t look his age; Jim had to disagree. At that moment, with his eyes trained over on the doorway, Magnus looked far older than anyone Jim had ever met. There was an aged look to him that spoke of years upon years of grief and sorrow. “It’s bad,” he said softly. “Right now, the potions we give him and the chlorophyll shakes he drinks are the only things keeping him functioning. Unless he can figure out an element to replace the palladium, or we figure out a way to get the shrapnel out of his chest…”

The knot in Jim’s chest tightened even more. He had to swallow a few times just to make his voice work. “How long?”

“Best case scenario?” Magnus looked at Jim, the aged-look in his eyes even stronger than before. “Three weeks, if we start pushing the potions on him even stronger.”

“Worst case?”

“Six to eight days.”

Jim closed his eyes. Fear washed over him; a fear that he’d felt so many times in the past when Tony was in stupid situations. A fear he’d felt almost a year ago when Tony’s Humvee had been attacked, and his friend had been nowhere in sight.

Back then, there’d only been so much that Jim could do within the constraints of the law. No matter how much he’d wanted to storm Afghanistan, scour the deserts, his options had been limited. After Tony came back home, Jim had promised himself he wasn’t going to be that helpless again. That he’d do better next time – protect Tony better. Now? Now, the very thing saving Tony’s life was killing him, and yet again there was nothing Jim could do.

Or… not _nothing_.

Jim might not be a doctor, but he knew people who were, and he was pretty sure he’d heard rumors about a doctor who performed amazing surgeries. The kind that other people wrote off as impossible. With a doctor like that and Magnus’ magic, maybe, just maybe Tony might stand a chance.

Resolve straightened Jim’s spine. It had him standing straighter; at attention.

Beside him, the other two straightened up as well. “You have an idea,” Magnus said, not even bothering to beat around the bush.

“Maybe,” Jim said. He didn’t want to give them false hope. “There’s a doctor I know of – he tends to take on the impossible cases. The ones that no other doctor are willing to touch, because they’re convinced it’s hopeless. If I remember right, his success rate is almost perfect, too. Now, he’s typically a bit of a bitch to get an appointment with, and he has a reputation for only wanting to take things that are interesting or a surefire _win_ , but… I’ve got a few people who owe me favors that I might be able to call in.”

The very same light that Jim felt inside him was being reflected back at him from these two people in front of him who clearly loved Tony just as much as he did. “Do it,” Raphael said.

Jim was smiling when he reached for his phone.

He might not be able to help Tony find a new element, or deal with this whole Vanko threat, or make potions that could make Tony’s days more bearable. But, he could do _this_ , and he was damn well going to. The military could wait a few more hours to hear from Jim. Family was much more important.


	8. Chapter 8

Tony was somehow simultaneously surprised and yet not when Raphael and Magnus stuck around through the night. They found Tony about an hour after he left them – when he finally finished with his own phone calls and had dealt with some damage control with Pepper – and they wasted no time in bundling Tony upstairs to his bedroom. There, they stripped him down, shoved him into bed, and forcibly cuddled him while JARVIS put on a movie for them to watch. It was the most ridiculous and amazing thing.

When morning rolled around, Raphael was gone. Portaled out before the sun was up.  But Magnus was still there, spooned against Tony’s back as if to act like a barrier between him and the world around him, and there was a warm body in front of him that Tony was curled up against…

Wait, what?

Tony blinked his eyes open slowly. While it wasn’t unusual at one point in his life to wake up with his face smushed against someone’s chest, that hadn’t happened in quite a while.

The skin in front of him was pale, with a bit of chest hair, broken up only by… _ah_.

 _Runes_.

Even without looking up, or moving, Tony knew who he’d find. There was only one Shadowhunter that would be in his bed. Especially with Magnus being so protective even in his sleep. The list of who Magnus would let be close to Tony while he was vulnerable like this was a small one. Even Catarina would’ve spurred Magnus into waking Tony up first. But, to let them slip in while he was sleeping? Raphael, yes, and Ragnor, once upon a time. And now, Alec.

Now that Tony knew who it was, moving became far less important. Most especially since Tony knew what would be waiting for him once he gave up on sleep. He wasn’t in the mood to go through yet another morning of vomiting and body aches. Not when the bed was still so warm, and he was safely ensconced between two amazing people who wouldn’t judge him or mock him for cuddling in _that much_ closer.

In fact, Tony’s wiggling in closer made Magnus chuckle against his hair, but it also had the older warlock pressing more firmly against him. One of Magnus’ legs nudged Tony’s forward until the both of them had a leg flung over one of Alec’s. The arm that was flung over Tony’s side shifted as well, a nice point of pressure, and Tony could see as Magnus flexed his hand against Alec’s stomach before settling.

“Happy birthday, _piccolino_ ,” Magnus murmured against Tony’s hair.

Tony gave a soft, happy hum, and he shifted in even closer to Alec, nuzzling against him shamelessly. This was the most skin on skin contact that Tony had been able to get since the arc reactor. He’d been craving it _so fucking bad_ lately while knowing that getting it wasn’t that simple anymore. Getting it now, with Magnus and Alec on either side of him and all that warm skin pressed right up against his own? That was the _best_ birthday present he could’ve gotten.

With the way his luck ran lately, he shouldn’t have been surprised when it lasted only for a few seconds before something else went wrong.

All Tony was doing was nuzzling in against Alec, enjoying the feeling of skin against his face, when out of nowhere that feeling _changed_. Tony felt it about the same time that Alec sucked in a sharp breath and jerked underneath his touch. Immediately, Tony jerked backward, narrowly avoiding slamming his head into Magnus’ face. Apologies were already falling from his lips. “Sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t even think about it, Alec.”

Alec was still lying in place, a stunned look on his face. He didn’t look angry, or upset, though his eyes were a bit wide as they stared up at him.

Tony was about to open his mouth to start apologizing again when he caught sight of the hand clenched in the blankets right next to Alec’s shoulder. The very same hand that Tony was using to support himself upright with.

A hand which was covered in _scales_.

Realization hit like a ton of bricks. His glamour had fallen. _His glamour had fallen_. Tony jerked his hand back towards his chest at the same time that he let his gaze run sharply over Alec, checking to see if he’d hurt him. That breath that Alec had drawn in before didn’t seem surprised to Tony anymore; now it carried an echo of pain to it. Tony had hurt him. He’d _hurt Alec_.

The arms around Tony tried to catch him as he started to scramble away. He was grabbing for his glamour as he went, only it wasn’t there, it wasn’t coming. The scales on his hand weren’t fading away. His claws were still _right there_ , shredding the sheets when he pulled his hands free from them.

Despite his best efforts, Tony didn’t get far. He’d almost forgotten about Magnus behind him in his panic. But as he tried to move, Magnus was there wrapping his arms around him and forcing Tony still, keeping him from running away.

“Hey, hey, woah there, Anthony. You’re all right.” Magnus tightened his hold until there was no way that Tony could struggle without hurting him, something they both knew Tony would never willingly do. He hooked his chin over Tony’s shoulder and pressed in against the scales on the side of his face without hesitation or fear. “You’re all right, my little dragon. You’re all right, and so is Alexander. You didn’t hurt him. Just take a deep breath and look at him. You didn’t hurt him.”

The reassuring words helped taper Tony’s panic down enough that he could actually do as Magnus was asking. Tony let his eyes run over Alec while the Shadowhunter pushed to sit up. Alec didn’t even try and cover himself up; he let the sheet stay around his waist so that the whole expanse of his chest and arms were on display, letting Tony see that there wasn’t a mark on him.

When Tony’s eyes reached Alec’s face, he found himself being watched with a look of such care that it stole his voice away. Alec smiled gently at him. “He’s right, you didn’t hurt me. I was just startled to feel your scales moving against my skin, that’s all.”

Tony wanted to reach for him, only his claws were free, and he didn’t want to touch him with them. Not like this.

A normal glamour simply _hid_ things that a person didn’t want seen. Like Magnus’ glamour was essentially just a cover for his eyes. He didn’t actually change them. Or Catarina’s glamour that just covered her blue skin with the darker color she used in her day-to-day.

However, people like Tony, or like Ragnor, who had horns or claws or other things that physically _stuck out_ , a glamour took more work. It had to do more than just cover up what was there. It had to effectively _hide_ it. Make it to where it was almost like those parts didn’t exist. Otherwise, what was the point of doing it at all? Just hiding Tony’s claws from sight wouldn’t protect him from accidentally scratching someone if he reached out to them, or from tearing through any pair of shoes he put on.

There were a select few people that had been given the privilege of seeing past Tony’s glamour. Even fewer who had seen more than just his true eyes.

“Hey.” The bed shifted as Alec sat up further. He leaned forward and, despite Tony trying to jerk back, he caught the hand that Tony had lifted to curl against his chest. With gentle, easy movements, Alec drew that hand down and deliberately held on to it, not shying away from the scales or claws or anything. Tony held his breath and watched as Alec looked up and smiled at him. “Tony, I’m fine. You’ve got nothing to worry about. I’m not hurt, and I’m not going anywhere. You’re not scaring me away, okay? I think you look amazing.”

 _Amazing_ wasn’t quite the word that Tony would pick for himself.

He’d seen pictures from Magnus of what he’d looked like as a baby, and as a young kid, with his warlock mark on display. Back then, the scales on Tony had covered maybe 80 percent of his body. He’d had claws, but they were small and manageable, and his fangs were easy to get used to – he’d never known any different. But his scales? Once he hit puberty, well, Tony’s body grew, warlock mark and all.

Now the scales covered somewhere closer to 87-90 percent of him, maybe even more. He tried not to think about it. His claws were longer, a few inches now instead of the little nubs they’d once been, and some of his scales had shifted into hard ridges. They marked his brows, making them a bit more solid, and showed along his joints.

He’d been raised to be proud of who he was, and what he looked like. Magnus and Catarina had worked hard on that. But it was one thing to be proud of himself around other warlocks. It was something else entirely to have that part of himself show around anyone else. Especially a Shadowhunter.

That thought had Tony wincing. Alec was more than just a Shadowhunter. Being afraid of his reaction to this just because of his heritage was no better than people being afraid of Tony because of _his_ heritage. Alec had never done anything to deserve Tony’s fear.

“Sorry,” Tony breathed out. “I didn’t…I wasn’t expecting that.” He wanted to say more – to thank Alec for not freaking out or tell them that he couldn’t seem to pull his glamour back up – but being not only awake but upright was bringing to life the part of the morning that Tony hated most. The only thing that was keeping him from throwing up right there in bed with them was Magnus’ hand on his stomach, and the soothing blue light that was sinking down into him.

Alec gave him a crooked smile that was more endearing than it should’ve been. “No harm done, Tony.”

“Now that we’ve established just how gorgeous you are, and how much we appreciate it, perhaps you’re ready to get comfortable again?” Magnus asked, voice full of teasing. He slowly, carefully, drew Tony back towards the pillows, drawing him in close as he did. “Alexander, darling, hand me that bottle on the nightstand, would you? It looks like Catarina sent today’s potion over already.”

It took a few minutes, but eventually Tony drank down his potion, and the trio got comfortable once more in Tony’s bed. They ended up with Alec sitting up, Magnus tucked under his arm and propped up by pillows, and Tony seated between Magnus’ legs so that he could recline back against his chest. Tony laid his head back against Magnus’ shoulder and yawned, flashing his sharp teeth. “I should probably be embarrassed by this,” he pointed out once he was done yawning.

“Why?” Magnus asked.

They both knew why. Tony hated anything that made him vulnerable. It was why Magnus never stuck around when Tony was waking up on a morning after he’d had nightmares. Tony knew that Magnus came in and soothed him back down, that he even slept there for a while, but Magnus was always gone come morning time out of respect for Tony’s pride.

This was a bit different, though. Tony was vulnerable, yes, and if he were feeling just a bit better, he would’ve protested just how much cuddling and carrying was happening lately. But, his body still felt miserable, and it was his birthday, dammit! That meant he got to do what he wanted. Plus, there was a part of Tony that knew he was feeling a whole lot needier than he normally was. Being unable to go out and find a body to press against at night had been taking its toll. Without that release, he was left to get the skin contact he needed where he could, and his family had always been amazing at offering it to him when he needed it.

Alec reached over and patted Tony’s arm. “It’s not that strange. Jace and I shared a bed the other night.”

“Really?” Magnus exclaimed. Tony could feel it as the older warlock twisted himself around to better be able to look at his partner. There’d been a hint of teasing in that single word that made it clear just how amused he was.

“Clary went out with Izzy, so Jace came to bug me while I was reading. You were with Cat, and I had an early-morning patrol, so I was just laying around in bed with a book. He came in and picked on me for a bit, and the next thing I knew, he was asleep.”

“That is unfairly adorable, I hope you’re aware of that.”

The two shared a kiss over Tony’s head. When it started to drag on just a bit too long, Tony reached down with one claw and poked at the spot just behind Magnus’ knee that never failed him.

Sure enough, Magnus jerked away from Alec and drew his knee up rapid-fire to get away from Tony’s touch. “Anthony!”

A smug smirk curved Tony’s lips. He closed his eyes and slumped back a little more against Magnus’ chest, needing to readjust after that. “I figured I better stop you before things got heated. No erections in my bed unless I’m directly involved.”

“ _Tony_!”

The shocked sound of Alec’s voice had Tony sniggering. He wasn’t the only one, either. He could feel the slight rumble of Magnus’ chuckles. Poor Alec sounded so _scandalized_. It was tempting to keep teasing him

“Sir,” JARVIS interrupted them. “Colonel Rhodes is still downstairs, and he requests that I let you know your breakfast has been prepared, if you still wish it fresh. Also, Ms. Potts and Ms. Rushman are preparing to leave Stark Industries and should be here within fifty to seventy-five minutes depending on traffic patterns. Would you like me to delay them?”

It was a tempting thought. Tony wouldn’t mind seeing Pepper today. Knowing her, she’d have work for him, but she also had her way of easing things for him on his birthday. She’d always been like that ever since she started for him. Granted, she wasn’t his actual PA anymore – that job was currently being held by the false Ms. Rushman – but somehow Tony doubted it would change Pepper’s mind or opinions on things. Being President wasn’t going to rip her completely out of his life.

Absently, Tony made a note to himself that he was going to have to put in the work to find an actual PA once this whole business was done with. There wasn’t really anyone that could replace Pepper, but he was going to have to find someone at least semi-capable to try and do her job.

The idea of having JARVIS delay them was an appealing one. But, more than that, it was potentially a _necessary_ one. Tony lifted his hands and stared down at the pattern of scales there. The only places that really showed skin were the softer parts of his body. Some of his face, his throat, his genitals. They were even on his palms and the bottoms of his feet, though the ones on his palms were so thin they were almost unnoticeable, and softer, more flexible.

That might seem like a lot that was left exposed, but it wasn’t, not really. Especially since the scales crept up on all those places, too. They were across his chest and stomach, though thinner on the softer parts of him – the center of his stomach, around his nipples. They even threaded through his pubic hair, a few scales right up close to the base of his cock, teasing back towards his perineum without quite touching it. And on his face, the scales went around his eyes and down the bridge of his nose like some sort of mask, and over the apples of his cheeks. It left his mouth, the bottom of his cheeks, and a small part of his forehead scale-free.

For all intents and purposes, Tony was completely scaled. A look he’d always been torn between loving and hating. His scales were beautiful, Magnus and Catarina had always told him, and in an objective sense Tony could agree that they were right. Curling his fingers in, Tony watched the play of light over the red scales. They were a darker red, almost a wine color, and yet they carried a sheen to them like rubies, brightening or darkening depending on the light in the room.

He couldn’t have Pepper or Natalie see him like this. Even Jim…

Magnus laid one of his hands over the back of Tony’s. He didn’t hesitate to stroke along the scales there. “I can hide these for you. I did it often enough when you were young.”

Tony watched the way that Magnus’ sapphire-painted nail traced around the edge of individual scales. They both knew that Tony being unable to pull up his glamour wasn’t a good thing. His magic… his magic felt darker than normal. Slick. _Sick_. While the potion he’d drank had taken away the harder edge of Tony’s symptoms, he could still feel _that_. Feel the wrongness that sat inside of him; magic just out of his reach. “Yeah,” he croaked out, still watching the gentle touch of Magnus’ finger.

The warm wash of magic flowed over Tony’s skin. He watched the blue light start at Magnus’ hand, at his own hand, and then travel as Magnus drew his hand upward along Tony’s arm. Everywhere the blue light touched, scales faded to skin, slowly covering Tony’s true self underneath the false skin he’d worn most all of his life.

“This won’t be like the last time,” Magnus warned him. He was tracing his hand up over Tony’s neck now. “Before, your magic was young, and it was easy to lay my glamour over that and anchor it to your magic without any worry. But, you’re older now, and your magic is so much stronger. It’s also…”

“Sick?” Tony filled in.

The magic moved up over his face, and Tony closed his eyes under it. “Yes. Your magic is ill, just like the rest of you. There’s a chance it’ll work to undo what I’m doing rather quickly.”

Which meant that it would need Magnus to renew it. Magnus, or someone else. Yet, Tony couldn’t have Magnus stay with him all day. Especially not if Natalie was coming over. Tony and Magnus had talked years ago about what kind of people were allowed to know about their connection to one another. They’d both agreed rather emphatically that SHIELD wasn’t one of those people. It was their protection. If SHIELD didn’t know, they couldn’t be prepared. They wouldn’t know to watch out for Magnus if they dared do anything to Tony, or vice versa.

Magnus must’ve been thinking along the same lines. There was a snap of his fingers, and a new watch appeared on Tony’s wrist. It was a dark gold, almost bronze, and around the face of the watch was a circle of what looked to be perfect little rubies. It was very much an _Iron Man_ watch – and so much more.

“I can tie the glamour to the watch,” Magnus said, slowly starting to drag his magic back down, moving steadily towards the watch. By now, all of Tony’s warlock mark was hidden away once more. “It will still need renewing. However, anyone should be able to feed the spell I’ve laid there, offering it power to keep it strong.”

“So… no matter what, I need a warlock babysitter today,” Tony said simply.

“At least you have various friends from which to choose. Though, might I suggest Mickey? They’ve been lamenting your lack of visits lately, and I get the feeling they’re not pleased with how little they’ve been able to help. This might make them feel better.”

They all wanted to help, Tony knew. There was a part of him that wanted to protest just how many people wanted to help him right now. That part of Tony was used to only having a small number of people he could count on. Just enough to count on one hand. Now? Now, that number seemed to be growing day by day, and Tony was having a hard time keeping any sort of distance. The walls he usually kept up between him and everyone else were coming down more and more. Instead of just Magnus and Raphael seeing him at his weakest, now Alec had seen him like this, and Simon had cuddled him. And now Tony was going to have to add someone else to that list.

“Yeah.” The word came out a low croak. Tony cleared his throat until his voice came out sounding almost normal again. “Yeah, I’ll call Mick and see if they’re up for it.” If he was going to have a babysitter, at least it’d be a friend he hadn’t had a chance to spend a whole bunch of time with lately.

The glamour that Magnus put over him meant that Tony didn’t have any real excuses to continue lying around in bed, though. Little as he wanted to, he needed to get up and get himself ready for when Pepper and Natalie got here.

While Tony went to take a shower, Magnus took care of calling Mickey. The way they’d gotten close recently was something that Tony tried not to think too hard about.

The shower worked to wake Tony up enough that, when he joined everyone downstairs, he was not only dressed in his usual suit but was also smiling at them with something close to his usual charm. He wasn’t the least bit surprised to find that Mickey was already there, perched on a stool and chatting happily with Jim, pink skin still on full display. The bracelet on their wrist showed the symbol that let them all know it was a _he/him_ day, though Tony knew people would have a hard time understanding that with the clothes he was wearing.

Mickey was apparently taking it to heart that they were in Miami and was enjoying the excuse to dress for warmth and comfort. He was in a long paisley skirt in shades of purples and golds, black strappy sandals, and a black crop top with spaghetti straps and lace at the bottom. There was a gold jacket draped over the back of the chair he was perched on at the bar. To top it off, his hair was French braided into a crown around his head, with little bits dangling down on the sides of his face.

A grin spread over Tony’s face as he took in his friends and family. Mickey was telling a story, one hand waving through the air as he did, and Jim was watching him with that little half-smile and slightly wide-eyed look that he got when Tony did something particularly strange. It was the look that said that Jim wasn’t quite sure what to make of the person in front of him, but he was amused by them nonetheless. Which was pretty much the reaction he’d expected Jim to have to Mickey.

What was a big surprise was when Tony turned his head to where Magnus and Alec were standing near the windows, and he found Isabelle standing with them. She wasn’t in Shadowhunter gear, either. Dressed in blue jeans – artfully torn at the knees – a dark red tank that showed off her stomach underneath the ties that crisscrossed and wrapped from under her chest to the top of her jeans, and a dark red leather jacket to go with it, she honestly looked like any other mundane. Even her runes were hidden away.

Isabelle was the first one to notice him. She looked up and grinned, watching Tony come down the last few stairs. “Well now, good morning Mr. Stark. Aren’t you looking dashing today?”

Warmth softened Tony’s features and lit up his eyes with honest affection for this woman. He reached out towards her, and Isabelle easily reached back, letting him take both her hands in his. “Truly, Ms. Lightwood, how could anyone have any hope at beauty when you’re in the room?” Bringing her hands up, Tony pressed a kiss against the back of each one, enjoying the delight on her face. Neither one of them were serious in their flirting and they both knew it, but it sure was fun.

Alec, however, must not have enjoyed it quiet so much. “That’s my baby sister you’re flirting with,” he reminded Tony in a dry voice.

Grinning, Tony winked at him and lowered Isabelle’s hands. “Oh, trust me, gorgeous, I know. No one can say the Lightwoods don’t carry some _amazing_ genes.” With one final squeeze, Tony let go of Isabelle’s hands, his focus going back to her. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, but what exactly brought you here, sweetheart?”

“What, a girl can’t come wish a pretty boy happy birthday?” Isabelle asked, innocent as a newborn babe.

Tony didn’t buy it for a minute. He studied her, taking her in once more – the mundane clothes, the standard Shadowhunter glamour over runes, the lack of any weapons safe her whip curled into its tight metal bracelet at her wrist. Realization hit, and it was almost enough to have Tony rolling his eyes. He did, however, tip his head to the side to glare just a bit at Magnus and Alec.

That was all he had to do. The instant he did, Magnus was holding up his hands in a gesture of peace. “Don’t look at me. This wasn’t my idea.”

“I asked to come,” Isabelle interjected. When Tony looked back at her, she met his eyes without hesitation, and she smiled. “When Alec called to let me know he’d be just a little late, I bugged him to find out why, and then I said I wanted to come with. So, Mickey picked me up first, and then we portaled here.”

“I don’t really need a babysitter, Isabelle. Mickey’s only here to make sure my glamour stays in place,” Tony didn’t exactly like admitting just how little control he had over that right now. But there wasn’t anyone in here that would use that information against him. He tried to console himself with that fact.

The way that the lines around Isabelle’s eyes softened, the gentler edge to her smile, said that she saw more than he really wanted to her, to and she understood. At least so much as she was able. Thankfully, she didn’t call him out on it. She just kept on smiling as she said “I know. I just wanted to be here. Besides, this way I can take a look at your mysterious Shadowhunter spy, and you can take some time to take me out to an amazing lunch before we head back home.”

“That sounds like a plan to me,” Mickey chimed in suddenly. He’d pushed up off his stool and was making his way over to Tony’s side, shamelessly wrapping an arm around his shoulders and drawing Tony in against his side. One sparkly-lidded eye winked down at Tony. “Y’ been promisin’ to take this boy somewhere nice out here for a long time, yeah? Bout time y’ came through on it.”

For a moment, Tony just watched Isabelle, trying to read anything he could off her face. She was good; she knew how to hide. All the Lightwood children seemed good at that – and Tony considered Jace a Lightwood, no matter is last name. But _Tony_ was quite skilled at reading around those types of things. At looking at someone and taking in the things they didn’t want anyone else to see. “You know there’s a good chance she’ll recognize you,” Tony said slowly.

“ _Good._ ” The way that Isabelle was smiling at him while she said that was enough to send a shiver down most people’s spines. It was a smile that reminded Tony that, despite her soft looks, and despite the bright smile and fun-loving personality she showed, this woman was a Shadowhunter. She’d been raised to be a warrior in a society that had judged her constantly and found her lacking for daring to be who she was and dress the way she did. Isabelle Lightwood was no one’s fool, and Angel help anyone who dared think she was.

Tony had to shake his head yet again. The plan had been for Tony to have someone with him who could help renew the glamour over him throughout the day. Instead, he had Mickey at his side, ready to help with magic but also ready to play protector if the fierce look on his face and the tight way he was holding Tony were anything to go by. And he also had Isabelle, who was here as friend and Shadowhunter bodyguard.

These people were utterly ridiculous, and Tony loved them.

Still, he wouldn’t be _Tony_ if he just let them know that. “I’m surprised Simon didn’t tag along, too, or Aella. Just cover all our bases here.”

“You’ve got people who love you,” Magnus said. He moved forward enough to be able to reach out and cup Tony’s cheek in his palm. “Let us spoil you a little bit today, hm?”

How on earth was Tony supposed to argue with that? Sighing, he rolled his eyes one last time for good measure, and then he smiled. “Well, thoughts oughta be interesting. Good thing I like trouble.”

* * *

Magnus and Alec didn’t end up leaving until JARVIS let them know that Natalie and Pepper were coming up the driveway. Only then did Magnus agree to be separated from Tony, though he took a few extra seconds to give Isabelle and Mickey a rundown on things they should watch for, signs that the glamour was slipping, what potions to give to Tony and when, how to coax him into eating meals…

Eventually Alec had to physically grab hold of Magnus and tug him into the portal that Mickey opened up for them.

Tony could’ve easily been embarrassed about the very obvious parenting that Magnus had just done. He also could’ve made a point to remind everyone that he wasn’t, in fact, a small child. But really, he was just a bit too used to it to really make the effort to care. Jim often did the same thing if he had to leave Tony in the care of someone new.

Instead of dwelling on it, Tony just steered everyone towards the couches in the living room. Once they were settled with Isabelle and Mickey on either side of Tony, and Jim on the couch beside them, Mickey summoned them a platter of food from his café.

They were all munching on their food and drinking coffee – Tony had another chlorophyll shake in his water bottle – when Pepper and Natalie finally came inside.

It didn’t escape Tony’s notice how Natalie’s eyes went almost directly to Isabelle the instant she was in view of her. There was a brief look to Mickey, who’d pulled up the glamour that left him with pale, pale skin in place of his usual pink, and instead of purple hair his was a soft, slightly curly brown with almost-blond highlights. Mickey was beautiful in either form, yet Natalie didn’t really pay him more than a cursory glance. All of his very discreet attention was on Isabelle.

Clearly, she knew who Isabelle was. Tony got the feeling that most of the Shadow world did after the crap that went down with Valentine. The Lightwood name was pretty popular. Knowing Isabelle wouldn’t be as suspicious as Tony knowing Alec, though.

“Pep, Ms. Rushman, you’re just in time for breakfast!” Tony called out cheerfully. He sank down in his seat, amused when Mickey responded by slipping an arm around his shoulders, and Isabelle curled a hand over his thigh just high enough to skirt the edge of propriety. The smile Tony wore shifted into a smirk. If that was how they wanted to play it, he could easily adapt to that. It took just a small shift to take his pose from a relaxed sprawl to a dirty slump, playing up each place where they were in contact with him. “Come on it, ladies, join us.”

Pepper didn’t bat an eye at the action on the couch. She was far too used to Tony and his antics to really care all that much. “We’re not going to take up much of your time, Tony. There are a few things Natalie needs you to sign, but otherwise I took over your afternoon meetings for you to free up the day.”

“You came all the way out here to tell me that you freed up my day?” Tony asked teasingly.

Rolling her eyes, Pepper fixed him with one of her _you’re ridiculous_ looks that hid the amusement he knew she felt inside. Deep, _deep_ inside. “No. I came to tell you about the meeting I had with the Board and your PR team this morning, and to talk to you about your party tonight.”

“Oh, that.” Negligently, Tony waved a hand. He slumped a little more against Mickey. “I’m canceling that. I thought I told you to take care of that for me, Honey Bear?”

Jim held his hands up in self-defense. “Hey man, don’t look at me. I’m not your event coordinator.”

“You’re canceling your party?” Natalie asked, looking surprised. Tony wasn’t quite sure if the emotion was faked or not.

The smile Tony gave her was one of his _playboy_ looks. “Well, yeah. I mean, who needs a big party when I’ve got something a whole lot more… personal, planned.” At that, he snuggled into Mickey, and he tipped a wink at Isabelle.

Bless her heart, Isabelle played right along, giving a sultry smirk of her own and winking right back. The hand on his thigh danced just a little higher, fingers playing with the inner seam on his pants. “We’ll make sure he has a _very_ good time,” Isabelle said, turning her smirk on Natalie. The tone to her voice left no doubts as to what she meant.

Mickey helped it along by turning his head to nuzzle against Tony’s hair. He hadn’t said anything yet, choosing instead to just watch, but he let his body speak for him.

“Oh good Lord,” Jim grumbled under his breath. He rolled his eyes heavenward in a way Tony knew meant he was praying for patience. It was a common look around Tony.

Natalie didn’t bat an eye at Isabelle’s tone. “I’m sure you will, Ms…”

“Lightwood.” Isabelle’s grin was sharper now, showing a few too many teeth, and reeking with a threat that even Pepper was picking up on. “Isabelle Lightwood. But, I’m sure you already knew that.”

Okay, so there went playing subtle. Isabelle apparently hadn’t gotten that memo. She’d just blatantly let Natalie know that she knew the woman recognized her, and she knew who – or at least _what_ \- she was. Tony mentally began to rethink how to go about this whole thing.

One look at Natalie showed that she wasn’t so easily thrown off her game, though. Her look was calm and composed, with just a hint of confusion at the edges. A consummate professional. “Why yes, Ms. Lightwood, of course.” The way she said it made it clear she had no idea what Isabelle was talking about – no idea who she was. Or, that was what she wanted to portray, at least. The woman was a damn good actress. She visibly pushed away her confusion, and then turned to Tony in a move that clearly cut anyone else out of the conversation. “Mr. Stark, my apologies for interrupting you on today of all days, but if you wouldn’t mind stepping over here with me for a moment, we can get these few things signed and taken care of. Once they’re done, I’ll make sure your schedule is free for the rest of the day.”

It was tempting to make Natalie bring her stuff over here so that he could sign it and be done with it. But in this, at least, Natalie was just doing the job he was here to pretend to do. There were some things that Tony alone could take care of for the company, and those were generally things that didn’t need paraded around in front of anyone else.

Despite how much he trusted the two people beside him, it was ingrained in Tony from a very young age to always protect the secrets of Stark Industries.

That training prompted Tony to set down his drink and prepare to rise up from the couch no matter how little he wanted to move.

Mickey’s hand slid along Tony’s shoulder, to his neck, and then down to his back, bracing him as he started to move. “Make it quick, _mon nounours._ We got plans fo’ y’.” The words were practically purred out, and Mickey’s accent was extremely heavy, likely making it hard for the others to understand. They’d get the tone, though, which Tony bet was Mickey’s intent. The words themselves were meant for Tony. Flirtatious though they may have been, they were a warning for Tony to hurry back over to them. Mickey plainly didn’t like the idea of letting Tony up at all.

Honestly, Tony didn’t like it, either. Especially not once he got up on his feet – with some discreet help from Mickey’s hand to boost him up. The poison in his blood and magic was getting stronger each day. Though no one had outright said it to him, Tony knew his days were even more limited than he’d thought.

That fact was only hammered home by just how terrible he started to feel the further away from Mickey he moved. Removing Tony from the magical aura that Mickey had been keeping up brought back some of the pain and nausea that Tony had thought were gone.

 _This is gonna have to be fast_. Tony tried to paste on the best smile that he could while he and Natalie stopped at the bar on the far side of the living room. He leaned against it, hitching his hip up on the stool, and hoped desperately that none of what he felt on the inside was showing through on the outside. “All right, Ms. Rushman, show me what you’ve got so I can get back to celebrating my birthday properly instead of dealing with paperwork.”

“Of course, Mr. Stark.” Natalie drew the tablet forward and set it down on the bar top between them.

Tony leaned forward to take a look, not realizing until it was almost too late that, by doing so, he put himself directly where she’d wanted him to be.

A sense of trouble pinged at the edge of Tony’s awareness. He felt movement beside him and he reacted instinctively, dodging out of the way at the same time that he heard a loud shout, a furious curse, and then felt the wash of Mickey’s magic flying past him. Tony landed hard against the stool beside his, crashing into it hip first with enough force that he knew it was going to bruise. He didn’t let it stop him, though. He just rolled with it until he was at the next stool. Only then did he dare spin around to see what happened.

What he found wasn’t quite what he’d been expecting. Natalie was frozen in place, reddish-orange magic around her waist, ankle, and hips, holding her tight and preventing her from moving. One of her hands was raised, right next to where Tony’s neck had been just seconds before – and in that hand was a _syringe_.

Isabelle had her whip free and she was stalking forward, Mickey right on her heels. Both of them looked _pissed_. For all that Mickey was the type to joke and laugh and play – and he truly _hated_ fighting – it didn’t mean he couldn’t be serious or deadly when the situation called for it.

For now, Mickey seemed to be trusting Natalie to Isabelle, though. With one hand out to keep his magic held around her, he rushed over to Tony, his other hand already extended towards him. “Oh, cher. Did she get y’? Are y’ hurt?”

Tony let Mickey wrap his free arm around him. Much as he didn’t like it, he knew he needed the support right then. His mad dash had left Tony’s head spinning and it’d yet to calm down. “I’m fine, Mick.”

“What is going on here?” Pepper’s voice was high and sharp. There was panic there that Tony could easily hear, and it made him wince, reminding him that Pepper might know Natalie was a spy, but she didn’t know about the rest of this. She didn’t know about the Shadow world, or who Tony was, or who these people with him were.

Tony was saved from having to say anything by Jim stepping up. “I got this,” he said, catching Tony’s eye. The two knew one another well enough that words weren’t really needed. With a nod, Tony gave his permission for Jim to tell her everything she needed to know. Jim nodded back before he reached out, curling his hand around Pepper’s arm. “Come on, Pepper. They’ve got this handled. Let’s go in the kitchen an I’ll explain some things to you.”

In that moment Tony was reminded why Jim was one of his best friends. Across the room, Tony caught his eye one more time and mouthed _Thanks_.

Jim just grinned and tugged Pepper through the door that led towards the kitchen. Between him and JARVIS they’d be able to not only explain things to Pepper but also offer her proof. Tony knew it might be cowardly, but he was damn grateful he didn’t have to spill yet another secret to another person. He’d had his fill of emotional moments lately, and it didn’t look like he was done. Jim could go ahead and handle this one. Tony had a much more dangerous situation to handle.

The return of Mickey’s magic around him helped Tony to find his feet again. It gave him the strength to straighten up, and to reach down inside for the place that had helped Tony get through every single tough moment of his life.

The armor Tony wrapped around himself was both old and familiar. He held on to it tight as he squared his shoulders, chin lifting and a smirk settling on his lips. When he looked at Natalie, his eyes were sparking with amusement. “Well then, first things first.” A few steps brought Tony close without putting him in the danger zone. His smirk grew. “You’re fired.”

“That’s not up to you,” Natalie said flatly. She didn’t seem to be too perturbed by the magic that was holding her in place. Then again, she’d already proved what an actress she was.

Tony rolled his eyes at her. “Uh, considering it’s still _my_ company? Yeah, it is, sweetheart. Pepper’s the President, not the CEO. I still outrank her. Besides.” Unable to help himself, Tony let his grin grow wider, and he leaned in a little. “The only reason Pepper hadn’t fired you yet is because I said no. I revoke that? You’d be gone in an instant.”

The way her eyes sharpened on him was a bit satisfying. Tony drew back and let himself lean in against Mickey’s space once more. Isabelle was still standing beside them, whip at the ready.

When Natalie opened her mouth to speak, Tony held up a hand and quickly cut her off. “Ah-ah, no. We’re not going to start playing whatever new game you’ve decided on. I’m not in the mood to deal with the pawns. JARVIS, do Daddy a favor and find out where our favorite angry pirate is, hm? I get the feeling there’s a lot we should talk about.” Winking at Natalie, Tony leaned in against Mickey. “I’m sure Mickey here can help get you comfortable until your boss arrives.”

“It’d be m’ pleasure,” Mickey drawled out, a hard edge to his voice that Tony hadn’t ever heard there before. “Isabelle, grab de syringe, would y’? We might wanna take a look at it while we’re waiting, _non_?”

“Do we have to keep her around?” Isabelle asked. She moved to take the syringe from Natalie, who was at least smart enough not to try and fight her on it. Once she had it, she took a few steps back, opening up room for Mickey to use the magic bands on Natalie and drag her to the living room and over to a chair, the rest of them following after.

Mickey let out an inelegant snort as he sank onto the couch, drawing Tony down with him. A wave of his hand released the bonds holding Natalie. He arched an eyebrow at her once she was free. “I’m guessin’ y’ aint stupid enough to try an run again, _oui_?”

“I’d like to see her try,” Isabelle mumbled. Her voice was both a threat and a promise.

It took effort for Tony not to shake his head at them. Mickey had tucked Tony into the corner of the couch furthest from Natalie, and Isabelle was sitting on the arm of the couch right next to him, his body bracketed between them. They weren’t giving up their _lover_ act just because Natalie had given up her own cover. Still, Tony wondered if Natalie thought the way they were touching him was because they really were his partners, or if she was able to read the fear underneath them.

Tony let himself relax into the couch while he backtracked to answer Isabelle’s previous question. “I figure we should probably keep her around if we want answers. Not that I’d actually believe anything you say, Agent Rushman, or whatever name it is you use.”

There was only a brief second of indecision in Natalie’s eyes. Then her chin lifted, and she crossed her legs, adopting her own armor just the same as Tony was. “Agent Natasha Romanoff. Though I’m guessing you already knew that. I’m a SHIELD shadow. Once we knew you were ill, I was tasked to you by Director Fury.”

Tony wasn’t going to tell her that he hadn’t. He was all for hiding his intelligence; it made it easier to lull people into complacency. Get them to make a mistake. But once people started ascribing things to you, even if you hadn’t done them, it was always better to let them keep on thinking that. So instead of saying anything, Tony just let his lips quirk a little, and he stayed silent, his mind racing the whole time with that little bit of information she’d just dropped.

Any further conversation was prevented when JARVIS spoke again. “Sir, I have Director Fury on the line. He wishes to speak with you. Would you like me to patch him through?”

“Yeah, go ahead, bring him up on the big screen.”

The flat screen TV on the wall turned on, and Nick Fury’s face appeared, looking just as constipated and pissed off as he usually did. He’d chosen a power-play, seated behind a desk in an office, quite a contrast to Tony’s lazy sprawl with his friends on either side of him.

JARVIS would be running a video feed to Nick, Tony knew, which only made the young warlock slouch down even more. He tilted his head so that it rested against Isabelle, and she responded by curling her arm around him and letting her fingers begin to card through his hair. When he lifted his legs, Mickey easily caught them and drew them onto his lap in a move that looked natural. Probably because it _was_. They’d sat like that plenty of times before, though it’d never carried the sexual edge to it that it did now.

Comfortable, and more than a little amused, Tony grinned widely at the TV. “Director Fury! I hope we’re interrupting something.”

“Stark.”

Tony didn’t give him a chance to say more than that. He barreled on, just as falsely cheerful as before. “It’s only fair. I mean, you’ve been interrupting my day with your nonsense quite a bit these past few years. Today’s the real kicker, though. Cause see, today’s my birthday, and I figured at least this day I’d get a chance to be left alone. But nooo, your spy here got a little trigger happy, and now, here we are.”

“I see you’ve had a chance to meet Agent Romanoff,” Nick said, utterly unperturbed by Tony’s rambling speech, or by the fact that they’d been caught out on spying. Shouldn’t he look at least a little upset? Tony wasn’t expecting him to be apologetic. There were few things he imagined Nick Fury apologized for, if anything. But he’d been hoping for a reaction of some kind.

“Oh yeah,” Tony drawled out. “I’ve had the great pleasure of meeting her. So have my companions. When they, y’know, saved her from stabbing me in the neck with whatever’s in this thingy. So, mind telling me what exactly this is?” Tony reached up with one hand to tap the syringe that Isabelle still held.

“Lithium dioxide,” Nick said, giving the answer far easier than Tony had expected. “It’s to help take the edge off of your little problem.” With one hand Nick reached up and tapped at the side of his own neck – a spot where Tony knew some of the geometric patterns from the arc reactor had branched out to. The glamour Magnus had put on was keeping those hidden, too. “We’re trying to get you back to work, Stark.”

“And what do you care if I’m back at work?”

“You’ve become a problem, Stark. A problem I have to deal with. Contrary to your belief, you are not the center of my universe.”

Tony laid a hand over his heart. “Baby, I’m hurt!”

Though Nick didn’t roll his eye – eyes? Did it still count as eyes if you couldn’t see one of them? – he did make that growling, huffing sound that Tony liked to draw out of him. It meant he was actually getting to the old bastard. “Get it together, Stark. This isn’t just about you. You think the world doesn’t realize there’s something wrong with you?”

“What business is it of yours?” Tony asked. It was what he’d been wondering since Natasha had told them why she was there. Why on earth did SHIELD care if he was sick?

Instead of answering directly, Nick sat back in his seat and steepled his fingers together. “How’s your magic?” he asked bluntly. “Any accidents yet?”

Everyone went still. This was the first time that SHIELD had come outright and admitted that they knew what Tony was. Or that they knew about magic at all. Tony bit his tongue as he forced himself to try and carefully figure out what to say next. SHIELD didn’t know that Tony knew the truth about them. Should he reveal that he did?

Mickey was a tense line at Tony’s side, his magic a palpable aura against his skin. But it was Isabelle who looked the most pissed off. She was sitting up straighter in her seat and fingering her whip once more. Sharp, furious eyes were locked right on Nick. “I suggest you tread carefully here,” she warned Nick, low and threatening.

“The time for careful is past, Ms. Lightwood.” Nick didn’t even glance her way. All of his focus was on Tony now. “SHIELD knows who you are, Mr. Stark. We know _what_ you are. And we’ve known for a long time. It’s our job to know.”

“A job assigned by who?” Mickey demanded.

Again, Nick didn’t look away from Tony. He was directing every answer right to him. “SHIELD was once made up entirely of what your people call mundanes. Mundanes with the Sight. It started as an organization of humans who’d seen the Shadow world and couldn’t just go back to their everyday lives. From there, it grew. Most of our senior agents either have the Sight, or they’ve had help from a warlock to be able to See. Those that don’t, work in other fields for us, taking care of more human or alien matters.”

“She’s not a mundane,” Tony said, tilting his head towards Natasha/Natalie. It was a statement, because of course he knew what she was, but he was careful to word it more like a question. Better not to let them know just how long he’d been onto them.

Nick smirked in a way that made Tony kind of want to punch him a bit more than normal. He didn’t look over as Natasha took out her stele and ran it over her arm. A glamour rune showed up first, followed by a multitude of other runes peppered all over her body, peeking out of her clothes and suggesting there were more underneath. Playing his part, Tony let his gaze flick over her, let his face show surprise and anger for one brief moment. Those were what they’d expect to see from him.

When he looked at Nick again, the man was far too smug. “Occasionally, Shadowhunters are assigned to SHIELD, or picked up by us, to serve a different purpose. They still protect the Accords and take out demons. They just do it with an entirely different support system.”

“By _breaking_ the Accords,” Isabelle snapped. “Your pet Shadowhunter attacked a warlock, unprovoked, inside his _home_. It was under the guise of assistance, but it was still an attack against his person. One that you and her might have gotten away with if she hadn’t been stupid enough to do it in front of witnesses. And not just Downworlder witnesses. I’m sure the Clave would love to see the video I bring back from JARVIS to back up my claims of this attack, as well as this entire conversation.”

“Y’ wanna help someone, y’ don’t attack ‘em. Y’ say ‘hey, cher, we got this thing that might help y’, wanna try it?’” Mickey added in.

Tony let out a laugh that was only slightly bitter around the edges. “SHIELD, ask permission? Oh, sweetheart, trust me, that’s not their style.”

“We’re past the point of playing nice,” Nick said. He was sitting forward once more, his face larger on the screen as he leaned in. “Someone with a power like yours, we can’t afford to let you just run free. Not with what we know can happen. All our scientists and doctors are sure that you’re going to lose control in a major way if this continues on, Stark. We gave you time on your own to fix it – now we’re here to give you the kick in the ass you need to get the job done.” Then, in a jump that made Tony’s head spin for a second, Nick pointed at him and said: “That thing in your chest is based on unfinished technology.”

“No, it was finished. It’s never been particularly effective until I miniaturized it and put it in my…”

Nick shook his head. “No. Howard said the arc reactor was the stepping stone to something greater. He was about to kick off an energy race that was gonna dwarf the arms race. He was on to something big, something so big that it was gonna make the nuclear reactor look like a triple-A battery.”

“Just him, or Anton Vanko in on this too?”

The slight dip of the head that Nick gave conceded that point. “Anton Vanko is the other side of that coin. Anton saw it as a way to get rich. When your father found out, he had him deported. When the Russians found out he couldn’t deliver they shipped his ass off to Siberia and he spent the next 20 years in a vodka-fueled rage. Not quite the environment you want to raise a kid in, the son you had the misfortune of crossing paths with in Monaco.” Once more, Nick pointed towards Tony. “Howard said you were the only person left with the means and knowledge to finish what he started. Are you?”

The idea that Howard had ever said _anything_ like that about him was laughable. That man had never said anything kind about Tony. Not unless it was to the press. “I think you and I are talking about two different people here.”

“I guess we’ll see.” A small smile twitched over Nick’s lips. Then it was gone, and he was sitting back again, adjusting his coat and making all the little movements that made it clear he was done. “I’ve got a meeting, but Agent Coulson is on his way over with a case of Howard’s stuff. In there should be what you need to solve your little problem. Don’t say SHIELD never did anything for you. Once Coulson drops it off, he’ll stick around to make sure you’ve got everything you need, and Agent Romanoff will return to her post at Stark Industries to keep an eye on everything. Good luck, Tony.”

And just like that, the asshole _ended the call_ , leaving Tony glaring at a blank TV screen and seething inside.


	9. Chapter 9

It wasn’t easy for Tony to restrain his friends in their anger. Whereas Tony himself was pissed off, Isabelle and Mickey were _livid_. They were practically ready to go to war on his behalf. The fact that, for the most part, Natasha was the only one there for them to vent against meant that Tony was forced to keep them as distracted as possible. He didn’t need Natasha and Isabelle getting into a fight. To be honest, he wasn’t quite sure which one would win.

Then Pepper and Jim came back out, and Tony couldn’t focus on the others anymore. All he could do was look on as Pepper made her way towards him.

They’d been out of the room for a while. Tony could only assume that it was to not only give Pepper the information, but time to process it as well. She’d just had a lot thrown at her. Magic, the Shadow world, Tony dying – Jim and JARVIS had told her everything.

Pepper didn’t hesitate to walk right up to Tony the instant she was back in the room. Tony rose as well, with discreet help from his companions. He didn’t want to meet her sitting down. Only, once he was upright, he wasn’t quite sure what to do with himself. Pepper didn’t _look_ pissed off. Usually, she was pretty good at hiding it, but Tony had learned how to read the signs on her body that told him just how much trouble he was in.

When she reached him, Pepper didn’t stop moving. She opened her arms up and Tony found himself wrapped in a tight hug.

The feel of her arms around him had Tony softening for just one moment. He held on to her, nose buried in against the side of her neck, and he just breathed her in. Drawing comfort from the touch of someone who was very, very dear to him.

Then Pepper drew back and smacked at his arm. “You are in so much trouble!” she snapped at him. “I can’t _believe_ you didn’t tell me you were this sick!”

Tony’s eyebrows shot up towards his hairline. “That’s what you’re yelling at me about? The whole, me not telling you I’m sick, thing?”

“Oh trust me, I’m not happy you kept the rest of it from me,” Pepper warned him, though the softness in her eyes made it clear she wasn’t _that_ mad. “I can understand why you kept that quiet, though. JARVIS made it pretty clear it wasn’t just your personal choice.” Which likely meant that JARVIS had explained the Accords to her. Pepper’s time as Tony’s PA had given her a lot of on-the-job-training on how to be a shrewd businesswoman. Contracts especially were something she was quite good at. And what were the Accords but a large contract between Shadowhunters and Downworlders?

Pepper turned her head a little, almost like she was going to speak to the two behind Tony, only her gaze must’ve caught on Natasha. There was a hardness that grew in her eyes that made it clear just how unhappy she was. “Agent Romanoff.”

  _Ah, JARVIS must’ve explained that, too._ Tony owed his kiddo something nice later for taking on these duties for him.

Natasha rose to her feet as well, all pretense of her cover falling away from her. It was distinctly _Agent Romanoff_ who now stood before them. “Ms. Potts.”

The narrow-eyed look that Pepper was giving Natasha was one that had cowed many a person in Pepper’s time as Tony’s PA. She was really, really good at the ‘Listen to me’ stare, as well as the ‘You’re in trouble’, or a combination of those two. “I don’t know if Tony’s had a chance to say it yet, but if he hasn’t, let me be the one to point out – you’re fired.”

Natasha didn’t even flinch. “My apologies, but I believe you’ll find that not to be the case quite yet.”

Fire flashed in Pepper’s eyes. With one hand still resting on Tony’s shoulder, she turned herself fully towards Natasha and straightened up to her not inconsiderable height. “I think you’ll find that it is. And if you’d like to press the point, our legal team would be more than happy to go toe-to-toe with SHIELD. Your bosses won’t mind the publicity, I’m sure, seeing how SHIELD is so open about their existence, let alone their _techniques._ ”

“Sir,” JARVIS interrupted them. “Agent Coulson and his team have arrived. They’re currently attempting to shut down communications around the property. Energy readings show that the current wards Mr. St. Claire has erected are still standing strong. Would you care to request that Mr. St. Claire allow them in, or shall I inform them that you’re not currently accepting guests at this time?”

Oh, that sneaky little bugger. Tony turned to the nearest camera and gave JARVIS the best grin he could. Very, very few people seemed to realize that JARVIS was capable of something like this – capable of _lying_. They assumed that a computer program would only be able to do what it was programmed to do. That any lies it told would be more specific. Codes that Tony had input in response to situations. They never expected that JARVIS would be able to come up with a lie like that on the fly.

Mickey, thankfully, didn’t give them away. They both knew that Mickey hadn’t put up any wards around Tony’s property. This wasn’t his home, and he wouldn’t have dared do that without asking permission. But JARVIS wasn’t going to let anyone know just how strong Tony’s own wards actually were.

“Let Agent and his delivery crew on in,” Tony answered. “Make sure he knows I don’t want any more Shadowhunters in here, though. I’ve already got one too many. I’m not in the mood for their ingrained racist crap today.”

His words had Pepper glancing over at Natasha again, and then back to Isabelle, who was no longer bothering to hide her runes. Not now that the truth was out.

Tony caught that look and smiled, shaking his head. “Don’t worry about her,” he told Pepper. “She’s one of the few Shadowhunters I trust. The younger generation seems to be a bit more open-minded about things. Or, well, most of them.”

It was actually Isabelle who stepped up next to answer the worry that was mostly hidden in Pepper’s eyes. Moving to stand beside Tony, Isabelle put a hand in the small of his back in a discreet show of support, and she smiled at Pepper. “I’m not here to cause any harm, I promise.” Pausing, she tilted her head towards him and flashed a bright grin and a wink. “Not any that he doesn’t want, that is.”

To make the others laugh, Tony blew a kiss at her.

Isabelle blew a kiss right back at him.

Off to the side, where he’d been silently watching everything unfold since he’d brought Pepper back out, Jim groaned and shook his head. “Why do I put up with you?” Jim asked, not really expecting an answer. He was already turning away, heading towards the front door. “Magic, demons, angels, flying metal suits, giant orgies, constant explosions…”

“Oooh, Honey Bear, keep talking dirty for me!” Tony called out after him.

The string of swear words that Jim sent back were kind of impressive. They only cut off when he reached the door. The man yanked it open, shooting a glare at the other side. “Come on in, join the party,” Jim said. “The lunatics are that way. Try anything stupid, and JARVIS and I will happily shoot you.” That said, he spun and walked back towards Tony, still grumbling curses under his breath.

Phil Coulson walked into Tony’s home like he owned the place. Two agents came in behind him, a case carried between them.

The very first thing Phil did was look to Natasha to check in. She gave him a small nod, which seemed to be answer enough. When he turned to Tony his fake smile was already in place. Tony fought to hide just how much he wanted to blast that look off his face.

“Mr. Stark,” Phil said, stepping forward and extending his hand. When Tony simply stared at it, making no move to shake hands with him, Phil smoothly drew his hand back in and folded it behind him, along with his other hand. “My apologies for the inconveniences you’ve had to suffer through today…”

Whatever else he had to say was cut off by Pepper. She smoothly slipped between Phil and Tony and drew the attention to her as she’d learned to do so long ago. Pepper’s own press smile was in place, a bit sharper than Phil’s fake congeniality, and she stood straight and tall without an ounce of fear. “It’s been quite the day of inconveniences, Agent Coulson. Perhaps you and I should take some time to talk about it. If you wouldn’t mind stepping outside with me. Your agents, of course, will come with us.”

“I’m sorry, Ms. Potts, but I’m under strict orders…”

“We both know your orders don’t mean anything here,” Pepper interjected, once again not letting him finish a sentence. It was a small power play; one made to really hammer home just who was in charge right now. “Maybe if you’d caught Tony alone, which was likely your original plan. But your agent here messed up when she attacked him with a room full of witnesses. Not a one of us is going to allow you to take over the way you seem to think you’re going to. Now, here’s what’s going to happen. Tony and his companions are going to go upstairs, or out to eat, or whatever it was they’ve planned for his birthday. You, Colonel Rhodes, and I are going to step outside, and we’ll discuss the terms of any further interactions between SHIELD and Mr. Stark.”

Tony watched her with just a hint of awe on his face. When Pepper turned around to smile at him, Tony blurted out “I’m torn between impressed and _really_ turned on right now.”

A light flush colored Pepper’s cheeks even as she lifted her chin and rolled her eyes. “I’m sure your companions will be happy to help you with that.”

“That sounds like a good plan to me,” Isabelle said, her voice a low purr. It effectively drew Tony’s focus to her, and away from Pepper. Not because of the words – those were just as playful as any of the other flirtatious remarks they’d said this morning. No, it was the _honesty_ in them that caught Tony’s focus. Isabelle wasn’t lying.

Looking into her eyes showed him just a hint of lust. Not a bright, burning fire, but a low, steady flame. It was a look Tony had seen on plenty of men and women in the past. People who wanted exactly what Tony had wanted – a bit of companionship, some fun, without any of the strings of anything more.

Tony was under no delusion that Isabelle was looking for a relationship with him. In fact, after some of their conversations, he had a pretty good idea of who she wanted for something like that. But he’d also discovered that Isabelle was a lot like him when it came to sex. To them, sex was fun. It was meant to be enjoyed, not to be ashamed of, and it gave them both a closeness that they craved even as they pushed people away. Isabelle was more open to a relationship than Tony, but it wasn’t Tony she was looking for that from.

However, if he was reading her look right, she wouldn’t be against a fun afternoon. And it’d been so long since Tony had shared himself with someone. The fear of them seeing the marks of Afghanistan on his body, or more recently of the palladium, had kept him from indulging. With Isabelle, he wouldn’t have to hide that. He’d be free to touch and feel, and let her do the same in return, without any sort of judgment. Even if he couldn’t completely let go, if he had to keep just a small barrier between the arc and her, something told him she wouldn’t mind.

They’d have to talk about it first. Tony wouldn’t get into anything, especially not with a friend, without making sure there were clear boundaries set out first. But the possibility of it was enough to have a slow smirk curving over his lips. “If you’ll all excuse us.” Turning, Tony gave Pepper one last smile, making sure to include Jim as well. “Keep your evening open later, guys. I’d like it if you were there for dinner.” That said, he turned back around, and Mickey was already moving, opening up a portal right there in Tony’s living room.

There was a soft sound of surprise from Pepper, and low protests starting to form from the others, but they didn’t give them time to react. Tony held on to Isabelle, and grabbed hold of Mickey’s hand, letting his friend tug him through the portal.

* * *

They didn’t go far when they portaled out of there. Mickey took them to an alley just a block away from Magnus’ loft, and from there the group made their way over, stopping off only long enough to get some coffee.

When they arrived, no one was home, but that didn’t stop Tony. He didn’t even hesitate to go in and make himself at home. Mickey and Isabelle both followed him, only slightly more cautious. But they relaxed plenty more when he took them into his workshop.

“You still have that syringe, Isabelle?” Tony asked once they were in and the door was shut.

Isabelle pulled the syringe she’d stolen from Natasha out of her pocket. “Yep. Figured you might want to take a look at things.”

A sharp grin flashed over Tony’s features. “You’re not wrong.” He made grabby hands until she passed it to him. “That’s it, come to Daddy. Let’s see what kind of nasty little surprises SHIELD put in you, hm?” Tony was already making his way towards the equipment he was going to need. He gave an absent wave in the direction of his friends. “Make yourselves comfortable, guys, I just need to take a quick look at this…”

Isabelle, who’d never got to see Tony’s workshop or watch him work before, was looking around her in fascination. Mickey, who was well used to watching Tony work, sank gracefully down onto the nearby couch and prepared to settle in for the long run. Allowing Tony in the workshop meant risking being in here for hours. Not that Mickey minded – it kept Tony contained and made it easier to watch over him.

Scanning what was in the syringe didn’t really take that long, though. Only a few minutes later, JARVIS was letting him know “It appears they were telling the truth, Sir. Contents of the syringe are lithium dioxide.”

“Huh.” Tony pulled the syringe over to him and twirled it between his fingers while studying it. SHIELD had apparently decided that this was something that would help Tony feel better – even knowing who he was, and what that meant for his blood, they’d still made that decision.

“We should test it,” Isabelle said, interrupting Tony’s train of thought. She was pushing herself up from the armrest of the couch, eyes on him. “If we draw a bit of your blood, we could take a look and see if there’s any sort of reaction.”

Tony nodded his head. “Yeah. Or, we could just…” Without hesitation, Tony spun the special syringe around in his hand and, in one quick move, he pressed it against the side of his neck. Isabelle barely got a chance to shout before Tony pressed the button and shot the solution directly into him.

It was like getting hit with a straight shot of adrenaline. Tony’s hand jerked, the syringe dropping to the floor, and his other hand grabbed at the edge of the table to try and keep himself from falling. Vaguely, he heard Isabelle’s voice, followed by both Mickey and JARVIS. Then Mickey’s hands were right there – and just in time, too. That feeling of adrenaline hit Tony’s magic, making it jerk as well, and Mickey had just enough time to shelter them both behind a shield so that Tony’s magic wouldn’t push out and hurt anyone or anything around them.

As quickly as it started, it all stopped, leaving Tony clutching the table and panting. Though his eyes were open, all his attention was focused inward. He was taking stock of himself and how he felt. The exhaustion that had been clinging to him before, the aches in his bones, the nausea that never quite went away anymore… those were all gone, leaving Tony feeling not quite _well_ , but _better_. Far better than he had in _weeks_.

“You _idiot_!” Isabelle was snapping at him. At the same time, she was reaching for his wrist, checking his pulse even as she was leaning in to look at his eyes. “What on earth did you think you were doing?”

Tony had to blink his eyes a few times to clear them. As he did, he also pulled back from her just enough to get her to stop touching his face. “I was thinking that SHIELD knows I’m a warlock, and they clearly factored that in when they were trying to figure out a way to give me a boost. For one reason or another, they want me capable of functioning, and that means they aren’t going to risk giving me something that would cause an adverse reaction. The likelihood of this causing some sort of damage was at like, seven percent, which really, are pretty good odds if you ask me.”

“It was stupid,” Mickey interjected, cutting off Isabelle before she could snap again. Arms crossed over his chest, Mickey was glaring, though he surprisingly didn’t seem as pissed off as Isabelle was. He looked almost… resigned, maybe even a bit amused? “Y’ know better’n to test somethin’ like that, cher. SHIELD aint exactly the most _trustworthy_ of people, yeah?”

Tony looked up at his friend and shrugged his shoulders. “Wasn’t like I really had anything to lose.”

Before they could say or do anything in response to that, Tony turned away from them. He pushed himself up off his chair and cautiously took a step forward, testing out his legs as he went. When he was met with no pain, no ache, he took another step, putting a bit more of a twist as he went. The continued lack of pain had him grinning brightly.

Something else came to him, and it had Tony freezing in place. Eyes closed, he looked inward, reaching down to that place inside himself where his magic sat. One look was all it took to have Tony’s grin growing wider.

Tony quickly unhooked the watch off his wrist. Then he spun around, tossing it right at Mickey, who scrambled to catch it. Feeling his own glamour settle in and take the place of Magnus’ was amazing. While he didn’t mind having Magnus’ magic on him, having it be there in the place of his own, in such a close, intimate touch, had been… strange. But now Tony’s own magic brought his glamour back over him, and he felt like himself again.

“Would you look at that?” He lifted his arms, twisting them this way and that, enjoying the movement and the lack of scales. Tony’s grin was practically lighting up the room. “It might not be a cure, but _damn_ , talk about a kick in the ass. I’m _so_ ready for birthday celebrations now.”

“Let’s see you celebrate your birthday after Alec and Magnus _kill you_ for doing something so stupid!” Isabelle fired back.

A snort from Mickey had the other two looking his way. He arched an eyebrow in amusement at their looks. “What? If y’ think they’re gonna be surprised by this, then either y’ don’t know them all that well, or they don’t know him, yeah?” He gave a soft huff and shot Tony a look of fond exasperation. “I knew as soon as they said what it was that y’ were gonna do somethin’ stupid.”

“And you didn’t try and stop him?” Isabelle demanded.

“Y’ really think we could?”

Tony put his hands on his hips, glaring at her. “Hey! Grown adult here, thank you very much. Last I checked I’m free to make my own choices about what happens to my body.”

Mickey lifted a hand and waved towards Tony in a silent ‘see what I mean?’ gesture.

They could stand here debating this all day, Tony knew. No one was going to walk away happy with it. And seeing as how he felt better than he had in such a long time, he really didn’t want to waste his birthday fighting. Not when there were much more interesting things he could be doing. “Hey, Mick…”

That was as far as Tony got. Mickey raised a hand up towards him, palm out. “Say no more, _mon cher._ Now that y’ got y’r glamour in place, I’m gonna go on an make sure I got things ready for dinner tonight. We still meetin’ here round eight, _oui_?”

“ _Oui_ ,” Tony answered, smiling.

With a kiss for Tony’s cheek, and a brief hug for Isabelle, the other warlock made himself a portal and left the two alone in Magnus’ empty loft.

Isabelle still didn’t look all that happy with him. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and there was a glare on her face with just a hint of a pout touching her lips. Seeing it had Tony smiling. He took a step forward, and then, when it was clear she wasn’t going to move away, he took another until he was right there in front of her, able to slip an arm around her waist and pull her in towards him. “Were you worried for me, sweetheart?”

“I don’t know why I should be. You sure aren’t.”

A slow, lazy smile curved Tony’s lips. “That’s not a no.”

“Are you always this frustrating?”

The glare Isabelle wore was somewhere between annoyed and just a tiny bit amused. It was that tiny bit that Tony was willing to work with. He pressed his palm flat against the small of her back and tugged her in a little closer until they were pressing together chest to chest. “Let me make it up to you?”

This time, it was definite interest that lit her eyes. Though she still looked annoyed with him, that attraction that Tony had seen earlier was bleeding through. She was quiet for a moment, and Tony let her have her thoughts, let her sift through whatever was playing in her head. When she spoke, it wasn’t quite what he was expecting, though he was more than pleased with the results. “I’m not looking for a relationship,” she told Tony bluntly. “Nor am I looking to lose what few good friends I have.”

“You and me both.” If she was going to grant him blunt honesty, the least he could do was give her the same. “I don’t want a relationship, Isabelle. My track record with those isn’t the greatest, and I’m too screwed up right now to ever make something like that work. What I’m offering is a little fun between friends, no promises, no commitments, no regrets. If you’re not up for that, that’s fine. We’ll walk out of here and pretend this never happened. But, if you are… I can’t think of a better way to spend my birthday than with a beautiful woman.”

Isabelle stared at him for a long moment, searching his eyes and his face for whatever it was she needed. She must’ve found it, too, because her body relaxed into his hold, and her face softened into a warm, teasing smile, one that promised all sorts of good times. “No promises, no commitments, no regrets.”

There were people out there who wouldn’t understand them in that moment. Tony knew there were plenty who would judge them both for this. _Slut, whore, easy_. Those were just a few words they’d use to describe either one of them. Tony wasn’t unaware of the reputation he had with the press, and the way that Isabelle had handled his offer, the look in her eyes when she did, said that she was likely aware of her own reputation, too. They knew what others thought of them – they just didn’t care.

This wasn’t some grand romance. This was just two consenting adults looking to have a good time and forget their worries at the door for just a little while.

As Tony drew her with him towards the door that led to his bedroom, his smile was easier than it’d been since he’d gone to Afghanistan.


	10. Chapter 10

Raising a child like Tony had taught Magnus quite a few different things. He wasn’t like most of the kids that Magnus had been around. Most of his ‘kids’ had been Downworlders that he’d taken in for one reason or another – meaning that they’d all been late teens to adults. He’d helped out a few warlock children here and there, but that’d mostly been for a brief time before they were moved to a Sanctuary or a more permanent home.

Even then, the problems that warlock children had were often the same ones that Magnus had experienced himself in some way or another. Fear, hatred, a need for love and understanding. It was something that most warlocks went through regarding their marks, their heritage, or the reaction of their loved ones.

But Tony… Tony had been a unique experience. Magnus had been a part of his life from infancy onward, growing more and more attached with each passing year. His early years had been spent mostly teaching him and growing close to him. Tony had treated him like a teacher and a favorite uncle all rolled into one. Then, as he got older and they got closer, Magnus became just as much a friend as anything else.

It wasn’t until Tony was a teenager that their relationship really changed. After he’d gone to MIT – after Tiberius Tone and Sunset Bain. That was when they’d become more than just teacher and student and finally acknowledged what had been there for years and years already. After everything with Tiberius, when a broken Tony had been curled up against Magnus with tear tracks on his cheeks and the kinds of marks on his body no one should ever have to feel, Magnus had cradled him close and healed what he could, and Tony had called him _babbo_ for the very first time.

Since then, their relationship had only grown, and Magnus loved the boy with every inch of his heart.

But, loving him didn’t mean that Magnus was blind to his boy’s faults, or to his little quirks. Lilith knew that Tony had his fair share of them. They were just as much a part of Tony as anything else, and Magnus loved him for who he was, not who he wished him to be.

That was something that Magnus tried to remind himself of once he hung up with Mickey.

The other warlock was fast becoming someone that Magnus considered an actual friend. Mickey was sharp, funny, kind-hearted, and entirely unashamed of who he was. He was also deeply loyal to those that he considered his. Tony had made it into that category years ago in a story that no one had shared quite yet. To Mickey, that meant that Tony was someone to be cared for, even if it was in ways that Tony might not always be happy with.

Case in point – calling Magnus to let him know about the antics of SHIELD this morning, Tony’s resulting stupidity with the lithium dioxide, and the results of said stupidity.

Magnus tilted his head back against the couch and pinched the bridge of his nose. It was a gesture that he didn’t often indulge in. Yet somehow, it always seemed to be Tony or Raphael that brought it out in him. Usually the two of them together. They were a dangerous combination.

“What did he do now?”

There was amusement easy to hear in Catarina’s voice. Magnus didn’t even bother looking up or opening his eyes. He was far too comfortable in Catarina’s home to try and put on any sort of airs. With Madzie off with a friend for the night in preparation for tonight’s party, it left just Catarina and Magnus together. They’d been discussing the information Jim had sent them about this doctor of his when Magnus had gotten the phone call from Mickey to let him know what was going on.

Sighing, Magnus dropped his hand down to his side and opened his eyes so that he could stare up at the ceiling. “He got attacked by a Shadowhunter SHIELD agent in his own home who was trying to inject him with something they said would help _heal_ him. Which, by the way, SHIELD apparently not only knows he’s ill, they admitted to knowing that he’s a warlock.”

He heard a soft sound of surprise from Catarina, followed by a low huff. “Oh, I’m betting that went over well.”

The sound Magnus made was between a snort and a huff, something that probably would’ve surprised a lot of people to hear from him. “You are the Queen of understatements, my dear.”

“How’s he doing?” Catarina’s voice softened just a little. “I can’t imagine he took it all that well, having someone try and inject him against his will.” They both knew just how protective Tony was of his body right now. He was more protective of his autonomy than ever before – and with good reason. Having someone come at him with the intention of injecting something into him, even if Mickey and Isabelle had stepped in and saved him, was undoubtedly going to have an effect on him.

Sighing, Magnus lifted his head to finally look over at Catarina, who sat on the opposite end of the couch from him. “Mickey said he seems to be handling it okay, but you and I both know that means nothing.” Tony was far too good at hiding things. No matter how close he was to any of his friends this wasn’t something that Tony would talk about to just anyone. Getting him to talk about it with Magnus or even Raphael might take some work. “As much as it worries me, that’s something we’ll need to handle later when there’s time to press. Right now, we have more immediate things to deal with. Like the apparent fact that Anthony’s answer to things was to go to the loft, test the substance in the syringe to see if it was what they claimed it was, and then _inject himself with it_.”

Catarina sucked in a sharp breath. Her eyes went wide, yet it took only seconds for her to close them and to slump a little in resignation. “Of course he did. That _idiot_. I’m going to strangle him when I see him! _Immortal_ doesn’t equal _invincible_!”

Usually when Catarina started on one of these rants it was because of something that _Magnus_ had done. He’d learned how to mostly zone her out; after all these years, the lectures began to sound the same. But this? Oh, this time, Magnus agreed with her completely.

If life was fair and just, right now Howard Stark would be trapped in Edom discovering new ways to suffer each and every day.

Things like this – Tony being so willing to test things on himself, to _run before you walk_ , to try new things without a care for himself – others might not lay the blame for that at Howard’s feet the way that Magnus did. They’d likely just label it another one of Tony’s _quirks_. Magnus knew better, though. He knew the blame could be laid squarely at Howard’s feet. He’d been the one to teach Tony that nothing was too important to sacrifice for the sake of science. He’d taught the boy that what Tony wanted, what he felt, wasn’t important. That those all came secondary to just about everything else in the world.

Tony had an ego, don’t get him wrong. Magnus wouldn’t deny that. The boy was egotistical in a lot of ways. Arrogant. But that generally came from his skills, which he had every reason to be proud of, or for superficial things. Looks, money. Underneath all that? Tony never seemed to see any worth in those softer parts of himself. And he never had any issue sacrificing himself, his time, his money, his skills, or anything else that anyone would ask for, so long as it helped someone else. He just liked to cover it up in arrogance when he did.

Really, the fact that Tony had actually gone and injected himself with this _thing_ from SHIELD wasn’t that big of a surprise.

As much as Magnus wanted to chase Tony down and yell at him, however, he knew this was something that would have to be handled carefully, and he told Catarina as much. “I agree with you, wholeheartedly. But we’re going to have to be careful lecturing him about it, Catarina.”

“Why?” she demanded. “It was stupid, Magnus!”

“It was,” Magnus agreed. He wasn’t going to argue that point. “But it was his choice, and it is his body. We cannot do anything that is going to make him feel like we’re trying to take away his autonomy.”

That silenced her. The last thing that either one of them wanted to do was make Tony feel like they were trying to take control of his body. After what he’d been through in Afghanistan, and then this whole ordeal, control was something that was in short supply for him.

A wave of the hand and a quick snap conjured up a few drinks that were stronger than the coffee they’d been enjoying before. Magnus sipped at his martini while Catarina raised her glass of whiskey and took a bracing drink of it. “He doesn’t make anything easy, does he?” Catarina asked, warmth wrapping around every word.

Magnus felt his own lips quirk in response. “No, he doesn’t. But we wouldn’t have him any other way.”

For all the frustration that Tony could bring to their lives, he brought so much more with him. Immeasurable joy, laughter, love. From the instant that the tiny little baby had looked up from Magnus’ arms with those beautiful red eyes, he’d been lost, and not once had he wished otherwise. Tony had brought him some of his greatest heartaches, and also his greatest joy. He and Raphael both.

Magnus had helped plenty of Downworlders before, young and old, but those two… those two would forever hold a special place in his heart. For a being who couldn’t have children, they were as close as he would ever come, and he loved them with everything he had.

The thought of losing him wasn’t something that Magnus could entertain. He’d already gone that route once, and it’d been the hardest months of his very long life, thinking that the boy he considered a son had died at the hands of terrorists, alone and afraid. To have him back was a gift. One that Magnus wouldn’t squander.

* * *

Any planned lectures for Tony were going to have to wait at least a day. Magnus wasn’t going to ruin Tony’s birthday with lectures and arguments. Today was meant to be a celebration. Dinner at the loft with family and friends – thanks to Mickey, Magnus knew to plan for Jim and Pepper as well now, too – and then off to Pandemonium for a little afterparty. Catarina and Magnus had worked hard on a potion that would be able to give Tony a few hours of extra energy, and they’d both planned on using their magic to boost his glamour and his own magic to hopefully give him a chance to have a good time.

Magnus refused to be grateful that Tony had injected himself with a mystery substance that had apparently done their job for them and boosted him up almost to normal levels.

When Magnus got home, he was pleased to see that Alec was already there, looking like he’d just arrived minutes ago. He was in their bedroom stripping down out of his gear. Magnus paused in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest and his shoulder propped up against the door jamb. A slow, lazy grin curved his lips. “Well now, this is a beautiful sight to come home to.”

Once, that would’ve been enough to have Alec freezing or instinctively ducking to cover himself in some way while blushing at the same time. Now, the blush was still there, but Alec also looked up and flashed him that warm grin that was reserved solely for Magnus. He’d come so far in the time they’d been together. “You’re not so bad yourself,” Alec teased him.

Magnus’ smile grew until he could feel it scrunch up his eyes. He knew that look in Alec’s eye – knew just how easy it’d be to come in, shut the door behind him, and tumble his Shadowhunter back into their bed for a bit of quick pre-party fun. But they’d learned a while ago that doing anything of that sort with any of Alec’s family in the loft was just a recipe for trouble, and he could sense Isabelle’s presence in the loft.

More than once, a member of Alec’s family had either come in, deliberately setting out to interrupt them, or – on one memorable occasion – drunkenly called out obscene suggestions interspaced with mocking moans from the living room.

Not to mention, more family was going to be showing up soon, and there were still things Magnus needed to do to get ready for it. He gave a regretful sigh as he pushed off the doorframe. “Put a pin in that for later, darling.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Alec said, smiling one last time before he turned back to finish getting dressed

Magnus gave one last regretful look at all that gorgeous skin being covered up with a shirt. He spun around, not sticking around to tempt himself further. However, the low laughter Magnus heard behind him as he groaned loudly and walked away only served to make his smile grow. It was such fun to tease and play with Alec. Especially now that he was often willing to tease and play in return.

Though Magnus could sense the others in the loft, he hadn’t yet caught sight of them, which allowed him the freedom to start decorating. The living room furniture was cleared out and replaced with a long table. On that, a red tablecloth trimmed in a thick band of gold. Red and gold had been Tony’s colors long before Iron Man was a part of his life.

The curtains over the balcony windows were changed to a matching dark red, and fairy lights were added on the balcony. For the table, there were two wrought iron candelabras they’d picked up on one of their trips to Italy. They’d gotten a set of dishes from there, too, which Magnus snapped onto the table.

With Maria’s Italian heritage, one of the first places that Magnus had ever portaled the boy to had been, of course, Italy. Tony had wanted to know everything about his mother’s culture. He’d liked to bring her back things from there to make her smile. Since then, it was still their go-to place for comfort, or an easy laid-back afternoon together. Magnus wanted to stick to that theme now as he got their dinner ready. That was why the music that he set to softly play in the background was a compilation of their favorite artists they’d discovered in their visits.

He probably would’ve gotten them something to eat from their favorite bistro if Mickey hadn’t declared himself in charge of cooking.

Just as Magnus finished decorating the table, he felt Tony and Isabelle both come from the direction of either Tony’s room or his workshop.

One look was all it took for Magnus to know which room they’d come from.

Tony had that relaxed, at-ease look that came out after sex. One that showed a common satisfaction that came from a good partner, but also carried an ease at the edges that said the skin-hunger he felt was satisfied, at least for the moment. His hair was still a mess, though he’d at least pulled on jeans and a Black Sabbath t-shirt. Everything about him screamed _I just got laid, really, really well._

Beside him, Isabelle was even easier to read. She clearly hadn’t bothered to try and hide anything. Her makeup was fixed, but her hair was a loose cloud around her head that showed clear signs of having had fingers run through it, and she looked quite satisfied with herself and her partner. She was also wearing one of Tony’s science pun shirts over her black leather pants. Seeing her in a shirt that bore a few beakers, surrounded by the words ‘Stand back: I’m going to science!’ had Magnus’ lips twitching.

“Unless you two want to add murder to the night’s events, I suggest you maybe try not to be so obvious,” Magnus warned them teasingly. He let his eyes deliberately run over Isabelle and then settle on her face, smirking at her. “Your brother is currently getting changed.”

Isabelle shrugged one shoulder negligently. “It’s not like he doesn’t know I have sex.”

“Knowing is one thing. Seeing the aftereffects is something else entirely.”

Despite Magnus’ words, Tony didn’t look all that concerned either. He was too busy looking around the loft and taking in all of Magnus’ decorations. A warm smile was curving his lips, and his eyes were relaxed and practically shining with good cheer. “ _Babbo_ , this looks amazing.”

Tony reached a hand out for Magnus, who took it and used that hold to tug Tony in against his side so that he could press a kiss to the side of his head. “You should go get ready, unless this is what you plan on wearing tonight,” he told Tony, tapping at his shirt as he did. “Mickey will be arriving soon with the food, and the others not long after. You’ve got about, oh, an hour before dinner should start?”

“Who all did you invite?” Tony asked, not moving from Magnus’ side.

The warm weight of Tony against his side was one that Magnus easily adjusted to without even thinking about it. He wrapped his arm around Tony’s shoulders and drew him in close. “Let’s see. Us, of course. Alexander, Isabelle, Jace, Simon, Raphael, Clary, Catarina. Hmm. Mickey, Gwaine, Saffron, Aella, Elara. Colonel Rhodes and the lovely Ms. Potts, of course. Which, speaking of, we should get them at some point soon.”

“Which means I should probably head back to the Institute to get ready,” Isabelle said.

Magnus held his free hand up, giving her a questioning look as he did. “Portal?”

A wide grin lit Isabelle’s face. “Perfect. Thank you, Magnus.”

The portal came to life off to the side of them, away from the table, and Isabelle took only long enough to kiss Magnus’ cheek, and then to try and do the same to Tony. However, he twisted his head at the last second so that her kiss landed on his lips.

By the time Isabelle broke free, her cheeks were a bit flushed and her grin had grown. Tony laughed at the look. “Go on,” he said, dropping a hand down to slap her ass as she moved past him. “Hurry back. You’re not allowed to miss my party, Lightwood.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it. You owe me a dance later, Stark!” With that last parting shot, and a quick wink, Isabelle was gone through the portal.

The way that Tony was grinning after her had Magnus shaking his head. He gave Tony’s neck a squeeze, which only succeeded in getting the grin turned his way. “Guess that’s my cue,” Tony said, eyes crinkling from his grin. “I need to figure out what I’m going to wear, anyway. Can’t have you showing me up at my own party, now can I?”

Laughing, Magnus tugged Tony in just long enough to press a kiss to his forehead. Then he shoved him in the direction of his room. “Go on then, my little peacock. Go get ready.”

Tony laughed his way out of the room, calling back over his shoulder “Pot – meet kettle!”

* * *

Thirty minutes later, the whole loft was ready for the party, and their first guests were finally arriving.

Magnus had been enjoying admiring Alec in his dressy attire. Alec had chosen his own clothes – something that Isabelle had already been groaning at and threatening him over before today – and Magnus had to say, he’d done well. What Alec was wearing was clearly from the new set of clothes that Tony had bought him on their shopping trip. How on earth he’d managed to stick to clothes that were still in Alec’s comfort zone while also making them look so much better was a talent.

The jeans that Alec wore were black, and fit him like a second skin, yet they still moved easily enough for Alec to be comfortable. His button up shirt was dark red, and it nicely showed off his arms and chest both. It was also something that Alec was clearly comfortable with; he had no issue with plain button up shirts. But where Isabelle or Magnus might’ve tried to push Alec into something a bit _louder_ , this shirt managed to both stay in Alec’s comfort zone of dark colors while adding just a hint of _pop_. There were two strips of black that ran down over the front seams on either side of his chest, and the underside of his collar and his shirt cuffs was black as well. He had his cuffs rolled up so that the black showed.

It was a darker look, and yet, absolutely delicious, and Magnus was more than happy to admire with both his eyes and his hands, right up until someone knocked on the door.

Whatever look crossed Magnus’ face had Alec grinning even as he blushed. “Go answer your door. Don’t keep your guests waiting.”

Magnus let out a heavy, dramatic sigh. “ _Fine_. But I reserve the right to appreciate your new wardrobe later.”

The wide, blinding grin that Alec flashed him made Magnus’ heart feel like it skipped a beat. “Sounds good to me.”

Oh, someone was feeling a bit _flirty_ tonight! And he hadn’t even had anything to drink yet! Magnus grinned. Then he darted in for one last kiss. As he did, he raised a hand and waved it towards the doors. There was a flash of blue and then the door swung open.

The two were just pulling apart as Mickey came strolling in, calling out a loud “Food’s here!”

Magnus winked at Alec, letting his hand slip down to steal a quick grope of that rather gorgeous ass. He enjoyed the way it made Alec jump, though he didn’t stick around for the sharp look he knew he’d get. Instead, Magnus turned to greet his guests with a bright smile. “Oh, that smells delicious! I’m going to have to see about having you cater all my parties, Mickey.”

Mickey beamed over the large covered dish he was carrying – clearly the cake. Behind him was Gwaine, who was carrying more food, and then Aella, Elara, and Saffron were on their heels, also carrying food. There looked to be enough dishes to feed an army. However, based on smell alone, Magnus was betting there wouldn’t be a crumb left by the time the night was done.

There was a moment of chaos as everyone set their things on the side table that Magnus had set up specifically for all the extra food. There was another one that was set up for gifts, which the ladies dropped a few things off at.

As soon as Mickey set his food down, he turned to Magnus to greet him properly, old school manners bringing him to greet his host. With that bright grin that Magnus was coming to realize was just pure Mickey, the other warlock came at him with hands extended and eyes shining. “Oh, it looks gorgeous in here. Though not as gorgeous as y’. _Tu es très beau, mon ami._ ”

Magnus laughed as he took Mickey’s hands and drew them out, looking him over in return. “As if you have any room to speak. You are truly stunning, my dear. You and your partner both.”

It was true. Mickey and Gwaine had dressed to match, and each in their own style. If Magnus had thought about it, he would’ve realized that the night’s color scheme didn’t exactly work well for someone with pink skin and purple hair. Yet somehow, Mickey had made it work. What should’ve clashed somehow _didn’t_.

Mickey had on a gorgeous red strapless dress. It was held on by a sash around the waist that tied into a bow at the back, and the dress itself stopped just about his knees, the back just a bit longer than the sides, and the front wide open, spreading to either side from his waist down. In the open part over his thighs was a black netting that showed the black leggings he wore underneath. Mickey had finished off the look with black and red boots that came to just below his knees, and a few gold bracelets and earrings, as well as a gold feather clipped in his hair. It all held a sort of old-time New Orleans semi-burlesque feel to it.

Compared to Mickey’s extravagance, Gwaine was much more subdued in his looks, something that Magnus had noticed was the normal. It amused him, just how many comparisons he could make between Mickey and Gwaine, and himself and Alexander.

Gwaine wore black slacks and a black shirt, with a dark red tie to match Mickey’s dress, and matching suspenders. A black fedora topped his head, red band with a small gold feather wrapped around it, and really completed the outfit.

There was the ghost of a smile touching just one corner of his mouth. He wasn’t bothered by the comments between Mickey and Magnus that others might’ve taken as flirting. He was secure enough in his relationship to not have to worry. “Your home is lovely, Magnus,” he complimented him.

Magnus beamed back at him. “Thank you, Gwaine. I hope you guys all enjoy yourselves. Can I get you anything to drink while we wait for everyone else to arrive?”

“Oooh, definitely,” came Elara’s voice from behind them. “I’d kill for a good red right about now.”

Even as Magnus turned, he heard Aella huff out a raspy laugh. “Now, now, we’ve talked about this, El. Killing is _bad_. I’m sure we can find you a few bags of _red_ to tide you over.”

Saffron was rolling her eyes at the two, but she was smiling at Magnus at the same time, clearly amused by her companions. She looked casually dressed, and yet so very stunning. Her black pants and a black shirt were partially covered with a sheer zebra-print kimono that hung open. Her necklace was made of white and red beads, and her heels had a hint of red at the toe and then on the heel itself.

At her side was Aella, whose dress was _gorgeous_. Really, did Tony have any friends who weren’t beautiful? The petit woman had a haircut a lot like Magnus’, the sides and back shaved, but the top was dyed in rainbow colors, and it was brushed forward, the longest part coming close to her eye. She wore a tight-fitting strapless dress that ended above her knees and hugged every curve along the way. The top half was a bright read, while the bottom was black with a pattern of thick gold lines laid over it, and her heels were a matching gold. Next to her, Elara looked more fairy than vampire in her red silk blouse and a red and gold flowing skirt. Her hair was loose, and she wore little jewelry, yet it didn’t make her fade behind her friends. They looked like a set, meant to be together.

The three of them were still near the gift table, close to one another the way that they always were, and Magnus couldn’t help but wonder yet again what exactly the bond between these three was. They were quite the unlikely trio. A warlock, a vampire, and a werewolf, who all worked together and lived together, from his understanding. They were always close each time he saw them, often touching or curling up together in some way, and yet there were none of the usual markers for a relationship. No kisses, not even on the cheek.

In his long life there’d been quite a few relationships that Magnus had encountered. Some made sense to him, while others didn’t. But he’d learned that his understanding didn’t really matter. Not for relationships that weren’t his own. Whatever these three had was between them. They were proving to be wonderful, _amazing_ women, and that was all that mattered to him.

“I’ve definitely got a few bags of O-neg in the fridge if you need,” Magnus said, smiling at Elara. “Or I have a wonderful red wine that I’m sure you’d enjoy.”

Everyone took him up on the offer for wine, and soon enough they each had their own glass. Alec had joined with them by then, a glass of his own in his hand, and it made Magnus smile to see how easily Alec seemed to speak with these people, and how easily _they_ spoke with _him_. Gwaine seemed a little reserved, but he wasn’t rude, and Mickey easily covered up any of that with his own bubbling personality.

The next group of people to arrive were Isabelle, Jace, and Clary, and they simply let themselves in, drawing eyes and catcalls as they always did. No one could ever say the Lightwood family didn’t have gorgeous children, who had equally gorgeous partners.

Not long after that, Raphael and Simon joined them, and the apartment was filled with the happy noise of people talking and laughing together.

The loft was quickly full of people. Mickey and Isabelle went to go fetch Colonel Rhodes and Ms. Potts, and Magnus intended on greeting them like a proper host should, but everything was falling into wonderful chaos.

Tony was the last one to join them, and the sight of him had Magnus wanting to laugh aloud. It was like Tony had gone for a cross between the styles of _Tony Stark_ and _Antonino Bane_. He had on a button up red shirt, sleeves rolled perfectly to just above his elbows. His hair was spiked, and he had his trademark sunglasses on. From the waist up, he looked just like Tony. But, from the waist down came the rest of him. His pants were tight, like they’d been painted on him, and were a bright, shining gold. On each wrist were gold and red bracelets.

Tony was grinning as he strolled into the room, taking in everyone’s outfits. “Boy, you guys sure now how to stroke a fella’s ego,” he said, grinning unrepentantly at them all. “I knew these colors were awesome. I just didn’t realize _how_ awesome.”

Aella brought her fingers up to her mouth and let out a wolf-whistle that worked to break the silence that had fallen.

Everyone was laughing as they all converged on Tony. From the sidelines, Magnus leaned against the wall and watched his boy get surrounded by friends and family. Tony stood in the middle of a group who were taking their turns to embrace him and wish him a happy birthday. Between hugs, back-slaps, and bright grins, Tony looked like he was completely in his element.

Being the center of attention had been a part of Tony’s life since he was an infant. Though he could be just as content – if not more so sometimes – down in his workshop alone, it didn’t mean that he didn’t enjoy the crowds and the press of bodies around him. Especially when they were all people he loved, and who were all focused on him. Their presence had Tony relaxing in ways that hadn’t really happened since he’d come back home.

Magnus smiled as he watched Tony draw Pepper in against his side and press a kiss to her temple. Once, Magnus had wondered if those two were going to end up together or not. Now he knew better. Their friendship was strong, but it was based in too many ways on a certain type of caretaking. They’d gotten close while Pepper was Tony’s PA – a job that was almost like glorified babysitting in so many ways, at least when it came to Tony. There’d always be an imbalance between them because of that if they tried to date. Much better that they stayed friends.

She looked like she knew that, too, and was content with it, leaning in to Tony’s arm around her waist and laughing along with the others at whatever story it was Tony was telling.

Isabelle made her way to Tony’s other side for a bit, and she greeted him with a kiss that had a few voices calling out a sharp “Woah!” Which only served to make her and Tony laugh.

The loft was full of warmth and laughter, and practically everyone important to Magnus was here, all of them behind wards that would keep them safe. His boy looked healthy and happy. What more could Magnus ask for?


	11. Chapter 11

Once upon a time Tony would’ve been able to have a dinner party and a night of dancing and still manage to be up with the dawn to go to his workshop to start some new idea that had hit him while sleeping. It might’ve taken copious amounts of coffee, but he could’ve done it.

The morning after his birthday party found Tony practically dragging himself through the loft towards the kitchen in the hopes of finding coffee. Whatever boost the shot from SHIELD had given him was clearly starting to fade a little. Either the poisoning or his own magic was working it out of his system faster than he’d expected. He hadn’t woken up throwing up, thankfully, but even though he hadn’t been drinking he still felt like he was coming down off a month long drunken, stoned, invention binge.

Tony leaned against the wall the whole way down the hallway. When he reached the kitchen, light hit his face and he whined low in his throat.

There was the sound of a snap and then the _whoosh_ of something moving through the air. When Tony dared peek his eyes open again, he found that the curtains had been drawn and the lights dimmed. Magnus stood against the island bar, still dressed for bed in silk pajama pants and his blue silk robe, which he’d left hanging open.

In one hand he held a mug that was covered in what looked like different multi-sided gamer dice, kind of like what was used in DnD, and the words Chaotic Bisexual at the top, all those bits done up in the bisexual pride colors. In his other hand, Magnus held out a mug for Tony that was covered in hearts, and then had a large pentagram on it, with ‘Pan-tagram’ written underneath, and it was all done in the pansexual pride colors.

Tony never got tired of the mugs Magnus had. He liked to bring him new ones, too, when he found a great one while traveling.

Right now, though, he was much happier for what he could smell was _inside_ the mugs. “You’re my favorite person,” Tony croaked out.

Grinning, Magnus passed the mug to him when Tony stumbled up close, and then he shifted his arm to let Tony snuggle right in against his side. “As you’re one of my, little one,” Magnus murmured, pressing a kiss against Tony’s hair.

“Where’s everyone else?” Tony could remember a few of them staying over here last night. Raphael had stayed with Tony until close to dawn, when he’d been forced to go back to DuMort, and Simon was actually still asleep in Tony’s bed. Alec had stayed, of course, and Tony thought he remembered Jace and Clary staying, too.

The chest that Tony was snuggling against vibrated a little with Magnus’ soft hum. “Alexander, Jace, and Clarissa were called in for some meeting with yet another Clave official.”

“Everything okay?”

“It’s fine,” Magnus reassured him, kissing his hair again. “Alexander’s been trying to push through a few things lately that have come up at our Cabinet meetings, and it would seem the Clave wants someone here on the ground to take things in and report back to them.”

Meaning, everyone needed to be on their best behavior right now. Tony nodded his head in understanding. Then he cuddled in closer, eyes drifting shut while he allowed himself to slowly wake up. Magnus didn’t disturb the quiet. He just held on to Tony, fingers lightly tracing patterns in his skin, and the two of them drank their coffee together as they slowly let their minds wake up.

It wasn’t until Tony’s coffee was almost completely gone again that he spoke up once more. “Yesterday, SHIELD brought some of Howard’s stuff by for me to look at. Fury said that the arc reactor was unfinished technology, and that Howard said I was the only person left with the means and knowledge to finish it.” Even just saying those words had Tony’s lips twisting into a scowl. They were just as hard to believe as they’d been when he’d first heard Nick say them.

Bless him, Magnus didn’t tense, nor did he seem surprised. He just kept calmly stroking his fingers over Tony’s bicep while he made a low, thoughtful sound.

Tony bit his lip, ducking his head down to stare at the last dregs of his coffee. Then he looked back up, looking suddenly like a very nervous teenager. “Would you come look at his stuff with me?”

“Of course. Do you want to do it here…?”

“No.” Tony shook his head. “I wanna be at home, with JARVIS there. There’s no telling what’s in the case, and SHIELD seemed to think I’d need my workshop for it.”

The thought of what might be in that case had been bugging Tony ever since SHIELD had dropped it off. There’d been other things to think about, of course. Plenty of things that kept him distracted. But in the back of his mind there’d been the soft, quiet thoughts, waiting and wondering what he might find, what was in that case. What had Nick meant when he said that the arc was unfinished technology? What had Howard wanted to do with it?

There was only one way to find out.

* * *

They woke Simon before they left, only for the vampire to insist on coming with them. Magnus left it up to Tony, who shrugged. He didn’t have a problem with Simon coming with them. He was smart, and sharp, and maybe he’d be able to help them with whatever they found.

The house was empty, thank God, and JARVIS let them know there were no SHIELD agents outside, either. “Ms. Potts made it quite clear to them what they were allowed,” JARVIS said, sounding kind of proud. “For now, SHIELD has retreated, though I believe they have surveillance equipment still on us.”

Tony grinned as he made his way downstairs towards the workshop. “You’re making sure they only get what we want, right, kiddo?”

“Of course, sir.” Now JARVIS sounded offended. Tony grinned up at the camera when he reached the workshop door, blowing a kiss at it.

The case was waiting for them over in the seating area of the workshop. Either Pepper or Jim must’ve brought it down for him yesterday. Tony made a mental note to thank them for it. For now, he walked over there, trying and failing to adopt as casual an air as possible. He wanted to pretend that this didn’t affect him. That it wouldn’t matter what he found in that case. Howard Stark had been a Grade A asshole for almost all of Tony’s life. He was the reason for quite a few of Tony’s early nightmares. The man was a bastard who had spent most of Tony’s life hating him or being disappointed in him, or both at the same time, and whatever was in these cases wasn’t important except in a purely scientific way.

No matter how vehemently Tony tried to insist that, his hands still trembled when he reached out to undo the latches.

He heard Magnus ask Simon to go upstairs and see about throwing together a light lunch for them. With a brief touch to Tony’s back, Simon was gone, giving them privacy.

Magnus curled his hand over Tony’s shoulder, pushing him down into a chair. Then he perched on the armrest beside him, hand still staying on Tony’s shoulder, while Tony flipped the locks and popped the case open.

At first glance there seemed to be mostly papers inside. A blueprint lay rolled up on top of it all. The sight of the names on there had Tony’s stomach clenching. It clearly read _Arc Reactor-TFTR-1, Anton Vanko – Howard Stark_. Unrolling it only made that clench in Tony’s stomach tighten. “Vanko helped design the arc reactor.” That’s clearly what it was in the blueprints. It was huge – nothing like the miniaturized version that Tony currently wore. But there was no denying what it was.

“Looks like it,” Magnus murmured.

The next thing Tony brought out was a newspaper declaring _Soviet Scientist Vanko Defects_ , and then three different old movie reels. The first two, Tony tossed down with the other papers. But the last… he stared at it, curious.

Having Magnus with him meant it was no more than a snap of the fingers to get the old reel out from the closet and set up in front of them. The two moved to the couch, Tony tucked underneath Magnus’ arm while the reel was slowly brought to life. Not once since they’d started this thing had Magnus stopped touching him in some way. Tony was a little embarrassed by it – mostly because of how much he wanted it. He was grateful that Magnus hadn’t let go of him. It made it somehow easier.

The movie started, and Tony blinked his way out of his thoughts, eyes going up to the projector screen. _Expo Intro_ , the clapperboard read.

Seeing Howard come to life on the screen in front of him was far more difficult than Tony had expected it to be. His body jerked, just a little, and Magnus drew him closer in response. Neither of them said anything. So far, Magnus had been mostly quiet, letting Tony work through this in the way he needed to, at the pace he needed.

The speech Howard was giving was one that Tony had heard a million times before. “God, I remember him practicing this,” Tony mumbled.

A young Tony popped up in the background, and Tony felt Magnus chuckle just seconds before the older warlock cooed at the screen. “Oh, look at you!”

“Shut up,” Tony grumbled, though he was grinning.

Magnus returned that grin with one of his own. “You were so adorable as a child. Always such a sweetheart, with the biggest and brightest and most _mischievous_ little smile. You kept me on my toes, that was for sure. I never quite knew what you were going to get into, or what you’d do next.”

“You loved it.”

Laughing, Magnus tugged him in close enough to kiss his temple. “Of course I did. You’ve helped keep me young, Anthony.”

Their conversation had distracted them from the movie. They’d lost track of where Howard was at in his speech, or what was really going on, right up until Tony heard his name. He looked up, surprised to find Howard sitting alone on screen, staring in a way that made Tony feel like the man was looking right at him.

“Tony. You’re too young to understand this right now, so I thought I’d put it on film for you.” Howard leaned a little, gesturing at his ‘City of Tomorrow’ with one hand. The very same city he’d shouted at Tony just for touching many a time. “I built this for you. And someday you’ll realize it represents a whole lot more than just people’s inventions. It represents my life’s work. This is the key to the future.” The camera shifted, panning over spots of the city, and then back to the model of the arc reactor, before going back to Howard’s face. “I’m limited by the technology of my time. But one day you’ll figure this out. And when you do, you will change the world. What is and always will be my greatest creation… is you.”

The whole room seemed to have gone quiet as the film reel ended. For a long moment, the only sound was the film slapping the reel as it spun, finished.

There were no words to describe what Tony was feeling right then. His body was still, none of it showing through. Not even a clench of his hands. Yet inside… inside, Tony’s magic was roiling, twisting him up and screaming to break free.

“Anthony.” Magnus leaned in, his voice both stern and aching, clearly wanting to draw Tony’s focus in.

Only, that was the last thing Tony wanted right then. He didn’t want to think about the sympathy he could hear in Magnus’ voice. He didn’t want to hear whatever nice words he was going to say. There was nothing that was going to be able to compete with the echo of Howard’s words. Not right now.

_What is and always will be my greatest creation…is you._

What did that even _mean_? Howard had nothing to do with Tony. He wasn’t his father, he wasn’t his dad, he wasn’t his _anything_. He hadn’t been responsible for siring him, and he damn well hadn’t been responsible for raising him. That honor went to the one sitting beside Tony, and to Edwin Jarvis. What the hell had Howard ever done?

Tony’s magic was pushing more and more, threatening to unleash his feelings around him, and that was the last thing Tony needed. He shoved down his hurt, his pain, his fear, his anger, and grabbed hold of the scientist part of his mind with both hands, latching onto that to distract himself.

As soon as he did, his brain brought up a few things he’d seen in the film, a few important details, and in the next second Tony was shoving up off the couch.

“Anthony?” Magnus rose with him, worry sharp in his tone. He watched Tony head for the door and quickly set out after him. “Where are you going?”

“That cityscape is over at my office at Stark Industries. I need to go get it and bring it back here. There’s something on it…”

Tony felt the magic in the air, not really hearing the snap that went with it, and he turned around to look, only to find the City of Tomorrow sitting in the open space of his workshop. Tony froze for just one beat. Then he was pivoting on his heel and moving over there. “That works, too. JARVIS, could you kindly vacuform a digital wireframe? I need a manipulatable projection.”

As Tony reached it, he watched the scan run over the top of the City. Tony clicked his fingers a few times, trying to wait as patiently as possible, until finally JARVIS told him “1974 Stark Expo model scan complete, sir.”

Tony reached out and lifted the hologram up off the table. Holding it, he turned around into the wide open space. “Uh, how many buildings are there?”

“Shall I include the Belgium Waffle stands?”

Rolling his eyes, Tony pushed the hologram out into the open space. “That was rhetorical, just show me.”

A click of his fingers and a wave of his hand sent the hologram spinning, before lifting it up so that it stood like a painting in front of him. Tony let his eyes run over it, taking in all the details, every little thing that he’d noticed before. He felt Magnus coming up beside him, and he lifted a finger to gesture towards the hologram. “What does that look like to you guys?”

“Nothing. But I’m guessing you see something,” Magnus said.

His words only halfway registered with Tony. “Not unlike an atom.” Stepping closer, Tony reached out, forgetting everything around him in the wave of new information, new _possibilities._ He spoke almost absently, barely registering his words. “In which case, the nucleus…would be here.” He tapped against it, dragging it out. “Highlight the unisphere.”

Little by little, with each bit of direction he gave JARVIS, the image in front of him began to change. He brought it together, removing items from the image and pressing others together, until finally… Tony flung his hands out, surrounding them in a bright blue web of light. He heard Magnus make a low, surprised sound, and from the doorway came Simon’s voice, a low and awe-filled “ _Woah_.”

Tony’s grin was wide and bright, crinkling up his eyes and making his magic bounce happily inside of him. “You were a giant asshole, but you were one hell of a genius,” he mumbled. Bringing his hands up, he clapped them together, the light compacting down into a ball that fit easily in his palm.

“The proposed element should serve as a viable replacement for palladium,” JARVIS said. “Unfortunately, it is impossible to synthesize.”

“Oh now, nothing is impossible,” Magnus said, grinning.

Tony actually laughed at that. “Get ready for a major remodel, guys. We’re back in hardware mode.”

* * *

What came next was the type of inventing craze that Tony hadn’t felt in a very, very long time. Later, he’d feel kind of bad for Simon, who got swept up in it with them. But there was no one better to have as a partner in these moments than Magnus. He didn’t try and stifle Tony’s creativity, didn’t bug him with _Are you sure?_ or _Do you think you should do that_? or even _Tony, that doesn’t seem safe._ No, he went along with it and trusted that Tony knew what he was doing.

Together, the group of them tore Tony’s house apart, making room for the particle accelerator that Tony was going to need. And by ‘tore his house apart’ he really meant _tore it apart._ Holes were smashed into the walls and through the floor. When he took the first sledgehammer blow to the wall, Simon had jumped and swore, loudly, which only made Magnus laugh.

It was almost as funny as watching Simon’s reaction to Magnus grabbing the jackhammer to go through the upstairs floor. He’d stripped down to a tank top for it, though he kept on the skinny jeans he’d put on that morning.

“Jesus, you guys are insane,” Simon breathed out, watching Magnus move the jackhammer away and set it off to the side. “Also, holy fuck, is there something all you guys do? You, Tony, Raph – everyone one of you is hiding huge arms underneath your shirts. Like, what do you guys do, just lift weights in your free time together?”

Magnus laughed at him, bending to grab the cords that were needed and toss them down through the hole he’d made. “We all work out occasionally, yes, though not in a standard gym setting. But… you do realize Anthony is an engineer, right? That’s far more than just tinkering around with holograms and such.”

Looking down through the hole at where Tony was slowly pushing in boxes that he’d had hurried over to him, Simon snorted. “Yeah, I’m beginning to get that.”

It took them a while to get all the pieces together and set up just the way they needed. Having Magnus and Simon there helped. Magic and vampiric strength were a huge asset in getting it all pieced together correctly. They were both willing to take direction, too, which was a huge bonus.

When it finally came time to turn it on, Magnus and Simon were both there by his side, watching just as anxiously as Tony while the machine whirred around them, things were broken, and new science was discovered. The light their machine generated cut a wide path across a good chunk of Tony’s workshop until he managed to steer it where he needed it to. The small piece of technology that he directed that light towards began to glow, brighter and brighter and brighter until, finally, Tony hit the button to shut the whole machine off.

He stared, the others staring with him, as the light began to fade. What was left was a triangular piece of glowing light. “That was easy,” Tony mumbled, ducking down under the accelerator tubes to head towards it.

Behind him, he heard Simon call out “Easy? You call that _easy_?”

Tony grabbed up the proper tweezers needed and pulled the item out from its holding. He sat in a chair, rolling it over to the new arc reactor casing that he’d built, slowly and carefully setting that triangle down into it.

“Congratulations, sir. You have created a new element,” JARVIS said. They all waited, watching as the arc began to power up. No one relaxed until JARVIS informed them “Sir, the reactor has accepted the modified core. I will begin running diagnostics.”

The cheer that Simon let out was echoed by Magnus. In a flash, Tony found himself swept up in Magnus’ arms and spun in a quick circle, making them both laugh. “You did it!” Magnus said brightly. He stopped spinning and yanked Tony in close, hugging him tightly. “I’m so proud of you, my bright little dragon. Look at you.” Drawing back, he cupped Tony’s face in his hands, the love and pride that was clear on Magnus’ face stole Tony’s breath away. “You made an entirely new element. Anthony… you are _amazing_.”

“Dude, that has got to be one of the single coolest things I’ve ever seen,” Simon chimed in. He was beaming, too, like he was honestly proud of Tony for doing this.

Tony couldn’t stop the wave of uncharacteristic shyness that washed over him. “Howard started it all.”

“Yes, but _you_ finished it, whereas he could not. Whether he had your access to more modern technology or not, this was not _his_ doing – it was _yours_ ,” Magnus said firmly.

That warm feeling from before was slowly filling Tony again. He let himself hold on to it, the same as he let Magnus hold on to him. At least for a moment. Then he drew himself back up, brushing the moment off, and he took a quick look around at the mess he’d made of his workshop. “Hey, _babbo_ , you mind getting some of this for me? This place is a disaster. U, Dum-E, what’re you two doing over there? That’s not a toy…!”

* * *

It took about a half an hour to get everything put away. Again, having both magic and vampire strength really helped save the day. There were only a few things that Tony didn’t want moved with magic; pieces of equipment that didn’t always respond well to magical travel. For those, he had Simon help him move them along and get them set back to where they needed to be.

They’d just gotten the main desk set up again when JARVIS announced “Sir, you have an incoming call from a blocked number.”

A small sneer twisted Tony’s lips for just a brief second. “Oh boy. How much you wanna bet it’s my favorite agents?” Reaching out, Tony tapped the button to answer the call, making sure as he did that it was audio only. “Fury! I wasn’t expecting to hear from you.”

“ _Hey, Tony. How you doing?”_ There was a low, husky laugh. “ _I double cycle._ ”

That voice – that voice, and its thick Russian accent. Tony went completely still; every inch of his body was on alert. He felt the two with him do the same, responding to his cues. But for the moment all of Tony’s focus was on the screen in front of him. “What?”

“ _You told me double cycles, more power. Good advice._ ”

“You sound pretty sprightly for a dead guy,” Tony said.

“ _You too._ ”

Tony reached out and pressed the manual mute button on the screen. As soon as he did, he snapped out to JARVIS “Trace him.”

“Dude, who the hell is that?” Simon asked in a low whisper, as if speaking louder might break through the _mute_. “What’s going on?”

Spinning towards the other screen, Tony tapped a few more keys, trying to help the trace along. “Ivan Vanko, son of Anton, and the guy who tried to kill me on a racetrack. Supposed to be dead – apparently not. Now shush.”

Their little byplay went entirely unnoticed by the man on the other end of the line. He kept speaking, not knowing just how hard Tony and JARVIS were working to track him. “ _Now, the true history of Stark name will be written. What your father did to my family over forty years, I will do to you in forty minutes._ ”

The click of the call ending snapped Tony out of his shock. He and JARVIS hadn’t been able to complete the trace, but they’d narrowed it down to Manhattan and its outlying boroughs. Tony spun to his other screen and the information that sat there – information about the Expo, and Justin Hammer’s display ‘In Defense of Peace.’ “Holy shit,” Tony breathed out. _The Expo. He’s going to hit the Expo._

There was no more time for thinking. Tony had a forty-minute deadline and he couldn’t waste a single moment of it. Shoving out of his chair, he darted around Magnus and Simon both, grabbing the new arc reactor off its stand. Magnus’ loud “Anthony!” was echoed by a sharp “Sir!” from JARVIS. Tony didn’t let them stop him. He had his shirt up and the old reactor out and was already clicking the new one in when Magnus reached for him.

“You want to run some tests – run them,” Tony said. He twisted the arc reactor and gave it one final smack with his palm, jolting it in to place. “And assemble the suit while you’re at it.”

“Sir, we are unclear as to the effects…”

“I don’t wanna hear it, JARVIS!” The power of the arc reactor began to flood through his system, and Tony coughed as it seemed to send a wave through him, washing up his throat. Magnus, thank the Angel, was already drawing Simon back and preparing a shield to hold in front of them. Tony wanted to say something, but the power surged again, lighting up his veins, and he choked a little. “ _Lilith!_ That tastes like coconut…” he gasped out. “…and metal.”

The light was growing brighter, and Tony lost focus on the room around him. This new element, it was reaching out for his magic, and Tony could feel as his magic was reaching back. At first it was like the tide, steadily pushing in, radiating outward from his chest. But then… suddenly, it was like a tsunami, and Tony cried out as it broke over him and sucked him under.

He didn’t register hitting his knees, or the way that his magic lashed out from him. The new element was burning out any remaining dregs of poison in his magic, bonding in its place, and together they were chasing away every single spec of the palladium in his body. Tony gave another cry as it gave one last, final pulse, before slowly settling down once more.

When Tony finally looked up, he found a large dome around him, with Magnus and Simon on the outside. Magnus didn’t drop the shield until Tony gave him a nod. In a flash, the shield was down, and Magnus was in front of him, blue fire already around his hands. “You stupid, idiotic little _fool_! What were you thinking just shoving that in? You could’ve been hurt!”

One corner of Tony’s mouth curved up. “You know, I’m pretty sure I’ve had this conversation before. Only, last time it involved a really pretty girl, and a really big…”

“I so don’t need to hear the end of that sentence,” Simon cut in.

Tony’s grin grew wider. He pushed up to his feet, slapping at Magnus’ hands when the older warlock tried to help him up. “I’m fine, _babbo_. I feel fine. If anything, I feel amazing.”

“The palladium is completely gone from your system,” Magnus told him. “I’d like Catarina to check you over, but…this new element bonded well to your magic, and it would appear they’ve healed you entirely. Magic and body both. You’re… you’re no longer dying.”

Those words were something that Tony knew he was going to celebrate later. They all would. But right now, there were far more important things to deal with. “I might not be, but others are going to if I don’t get to the Expo, now.” Everything else was going to have to wait until later. Tony would analyze himself, have Catarina and JARVIS both scan him, and celebrate as needed once he was sure everyone was safe and Vanko was finally _done_.

Drawing himself up, Tony took one last, steadying breath, and he stepped into the mindset that Iron Man needed. He shot one last look at the two with him. “Should I assume you two won’t just go home and wait for me to call you?”

Simon snorted, and Magnus just looked at him – a look that was amusement and judgment all rolled into one.

Rolling his eyes in response, Tony flashed them a grin. “That’s what I thought. Fine. Simon, I’m putting you on Pepper-detail. As soon as we get there, you go find her and make damn sure she stays safe. And just in case I’m right about this, you keep Hammer away from her, too. This whole mess smells of his disgusting cologne.”

“Got it,” Simon said instantly. He knew how important Pepper was to Tony, and thankfully, she knew who Simon was now that she’d met him at the party. She’d trust that Tony sent him to her.

Tony began to make his way over to the suit assembly area, his mind still running through what needed to be done. “JARVIS, assemble War Machine and Magical Metal Mistoffelees. Code both of them to get ready for their drivers.”

“Preparations have already been made, sir. All three suits are prepped and waiting, and the War Machine is already fully assembled in the case and prepared for flight.”

“Awesome.” Tony grinned as he hopped up on to the assembly platform. He stuck his arms up just as the machine whirred to life and began to assemble his latest suit around him. As it did, he turned his grin to Magnus, who was watching him with a cautious look. “How do you feel about flying, _babbo_?”

It was rare that Tony got to actually shock Magnus about something. Seeing it on his face now only made Tony laugh. “ _I beg your pardon_?”

“What? You really think I didn’t ever make a suit with anyone else in mind?” The eye roll Tony gave made his opinion of _that_ clear. “There are only two people in the world right now that I’d trust to not only fly the suit but understand at least some of the mechanics behind it. Rhodey, and you. War Machine’s been ready for Rhodey for a while now, but I just finished yours a week or two ago.”

He watched as realization hit, widening Magnus’ eyes for a moment. Then they narrowed on Tony, a hint of his true eyes flashing through, and Tony knew he’d figured it out. “Magical Metal Mistoffelees?”

The helmet came up, and Tony had just enough time to wink and give a quick “ _Meow_ ” before the helmet snapped shut.

Telling Magnus about the suit was one thing. Getting him _inside_ was something else entirely. He didn’t put up too much of a fight – they both knew how limited their time was, and if they wasted too much, Tony was simply going to leave – but he made sure that Tony knew he wasn’t happy about learning how to use the suit on the fly like this.

The suit he’d made for Magnus was silver, like War Machine, only sleeker, and it had swirling designs etched in gold and a very light red. It fit him perfectly, just like Tony knew it would. JARVIS had scanned Magnus for his measurements.

“ _Lilith_ , how do you manage this?” Magnus grumbled at him from inside the suit. No doubt he was getting his first glimpse of what the HUD was really like.

Tony shrugged. “You get used to it.” With no more than that, he swept his hand through the air in front of him, grabbing hold of the magic he’d been denied for so long now, and feeling it flowing through him without the feeling of pain or nausea was like nirvana. He couldn’t help but grin when the portal opened up in front of him. It was to a New York alleyway not far from the Expo. Somewhere they could enter discreetly. Habit had him throwing up a glamour as well just to make sure no one on the other side saw them.

“All right, Si, you get to Pepper and let her know what’s going on. Leave the rest to us,” Tony said.

Together, the group headed on through.

* * *

At any other time it would’ve been amusing as hell to watch Magnus try and figure out how to fly an Iron Man suit. He was a brilliant guy. Far more than some people expected him to be. To understand magic with the depth that he did required a sharp, quick mind, and he’d had years to study things. While he openly admitted that he wasn’t anywhere near Tony’s level, he understood enough to be able to keep up with him, and to help out with things sometimes.

That meant that he had a better chance at flying the suit than most people Tony knew. Jim – Jim was fine, just like Tony knew he would be. The look on his face when he’d answered Tony’s call and came out to a discreet spot behind the Expo and found Tony, Magnus, and the War Machine waiting for him… that was a memory Tony was going to hold on to. He loved making his friends grin like that.

Jim took to flying War Machine like a duck to water. But Magnus had a few…hiccups. Some false fires, a bit of jerky flying, and a whole wealth of swearing.

Luckily for Jim – who seemed shocked to hear it all – most of it was in foreign languages.

It proved to be a damn good thing that Tony had both of them with him when Vanko used the drones from Hammer’s presentation and set them all on Tony. Having both Jim and Magnus there as backup helped. As did the magical protections Tony and Magnus applied against tampering.

And when Vanko himself came, and they faced him alone, Tony wasn’t the least bit offended when Magnus swore and stepped out of the suit with the command of: “JARVIS, take over for me.”

Four against one? Ivan Vanko never stood a chance.

The fight ended with Vanko dead – something Tony was very much _not_ going to feel guilty over, thank you very much – millions of dollars in property damage, and a plethora of bad press that was going to take Tony’s PR team _months_ to undo the damage of. But they were alive, healthy, and Tony couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All that's left now is an epilogue - a brief happy moment, and then a small little visit with Fury


	12. Chapter 12

It took three days for life to settle down after the fight at the Expo. Three days of press meetings, board meetings, interviews with the local police, a press conference, and a meeting with SHIELD thrown in for good measure. Tony had been up to his eyeballs in things that had to be taken care of. There was so much that had to be done in the wake of the fight. Not the least of which was all the repairs being made or checking up on those that were injured.

Despite the whole thing being Vanko’s fault – and Hammer’s, that slimy little _bastard_ – Tony was there to offer his money to help fix or replace anything and everything that he could. He even had Pepper reach out through the Maria Stark foundation to help pay the hospital bills of those that were injured. Vanko may have been the one to attack, but he’d done it _because of_ Tony. That meant that he was just as responsible for the damages done.

By the time Tony finally had a moment to break away from it all and _breathe_ , he was more than ready to get away from the chaos for a while.

When he landed at the loft, it was mostly empty and dark, just barely lit by the moon outside and the faint glow of candles coming in from the balcony. Tony paused, embarrassed at the idea that he might’ve interrupted something without thinking. He didn’t get long to worry, though. Magnus’ voice drifted in through the cracked door, heavy with amusement. “Calm down, _piccolino_ , it’s just me out here. Alexander is working.”

Relief had Tony slumping a little. Then, banishing his portal, he quickly made his way towards the balcony. “The idea of interrupting you didn’t really occur to me until I was already here,” he said sheepishly. Then he was stepping through the doors and out onto the candle-lit balcony where he found Magnus seated on the couch there in some of his comfortable clothes. He was in pajama pants, what looked like a sweater of Alec’s, and his bare feet were drawn up on the seat with him. Bottles of nail polish sat nearby; he must’ve just finished his nails, then.

The drink that Magnus held was lifted in a gesture of welcome when he saw Tony. “You’ve rarely cared about interrupting me with anyone in the past,” he teased.

“Yeah, well, none of them were really that important, were they?”

Tony only gave a moment’s debate before he used magic to change his own clothes into something comfortable. He traded his suit for his own MIT hoodie and a pair of Iron Man pajama bottoms that Jim had given him for a laugh. Tony loved wearing them. They made him grin.

They did the same for Magnus. He watched as Tony dropped down onto the opposite end of the couch, and he sat forward to get a better look at the pants. Then he laughed. “Already have your own merchandise, do you?”

“You expected anything less?”

Magnus flashed him a bright grin. “Of course not.”

Both men settled into their corners of the couch easily. A drink was conjured up and passed to Tony, who took it happily, and that was all they really said to one another for quite a while. For Tony, it was perfect. He was able to tuck himself into the corner of the couch, feet up on the seat beside Magnus’, and just drink and relax where he’d always been able to. Not just the loft, or with Magnus, but being on the balcony. They’d had so many personal conversations out here. They’d also had an equal amount of nights where they laughed, or where they sat out here and did nothing.

When Magnus shifted, setting his drink down and then reaching for Tony’s feet, it wasn’t anything out of the norm. Tony let his feet be drawn out straight into Magnus’ lap. There was something soothing about watching Magnus go through the process of trying to choose a color. Now and again he’d hold a bottle up toward Tony, head tilted, and Tony would shake his head or shrug.

Eventually, Magnus settled on a darker gold with some sparkle in it, and then he was drawing Tony’s feet more comfortably into his lap to make it easier to start painting.

Tony tipped his head so that it was lying against the back of the couch. There, he comfortably watched Magnus, content to just let him do what he wanted. The tension that Tony had been feeling ever since their fight with Vanko was finally starting to bleed away. It was hard to hold on to it here. The night was warm enough, or a spell over the balcony was keeping it that way, and Tony was with one of the most important people in his life. He was safe, Magnus was safe, and their friends and family were safe, too. What more could Tony ask for?

* * *

The two spent most of the evening out there, not saying much to one another, just simply enjoying the ability to relax together without any world-crushing problem cropping up, and without the threat of potentially dying to mar Tony’s mood. They just _relaxed_. It was exactly what Tony needed to be able to finally, truly feel normal again.

Those feelings were what Tony held on to the next day when he had to go back into the real world. They helped him to keep his calm when he went through meetings, and another press conference, and he gripped tightly to them when he made his way to the _super-secret_ meeting with Nick. Tony had to roll his eyes at the security measures he could see were being taken over the little warehouse that he ended up at. SHIELD was predictable, and they were also idiots. Tony could feel wards around the building, plus he could see the more mundane security measures. Neither one was up to par.

Not that he was going to tell them that. Let them think they were protected from him. That was exactly what Tony liked people to believe – right up until he proved them wrong.

Tony strolled into the warehouse like he owned the place. There was no better way to walk anywhere. Especially when dealing with someone like Nick.

The fact that Nick wasn’t in there had Tony wanting to roll his eyes. There was a clear little setup here, some screens and a table plus two chairs. On the table were some folders – _folders_! Like they were living in the dark ages or something like that. It offended Tony on behalf of all his technology. Then again, leaving out a tablet wouldn’t have had quite the same effect as that folder with AVENGERS INITIATIVE PRELIMINARY REPORT written right out there for him to see.

 _Oh Nicky boy,_ Tony thought, wanting to shake his head. _Anyone ever tell you you’re way too heavy-handed_? The whole place screamed set-up.

Tony dropped himself down into the chair, vaguely taking notice of Nick entering through the other end of the small warehouse. Just to be an ass, Tony took his time, looking around and letting Nick get close. Just when Tony reached for the folder, Nick made it to the table, and he put his hand over it to prevent Tony from picking it up. “I don’t think I want you looking at that. I’m not sure it pertains to you anymore,” Nick said, a clear attempt to pique Tony’s interest or to try and throw him off balance. Then he lifted up the other folder that had been underneath it, and he held it up for Tony to see. “Now this, on the other hand, is Agent Romanoff’s assessment of you. Read it.”

Oh, this ought to be good. Tony eyed the folder, and the table in front of him until Nick rolled his eye and dropped the file down. Scooping it up, Tony didn’t hesitate to flip it open and start to scan the contents.

“ _Personality overview. Mr. Stark displays compulsive behavior_.” He looked up and flashed a grin. “In my own defense, that was last week.” You know, when he was still dying and panicking about dying, and unable to do much of anything. “ _Prone to self-destructive tendencies_. Again, I hate to just keep pointing this out, but I was dying. I mean, please. And, aren’t we all? _Textbook narcissism_?” Tony paused, sneaking a look up at Nick, who met his gaze as if daring him to argue. For himself, Tony would have, but for _Tony Stark,_ it very much fit. “Agreed. Okay, here it is. _Recruitment assessment for Avenger Initiative. Iron Man? Yes_. I gotta think about it.”

“Read on.”

But Tony’s eyes were already running further along the page. What he saw had his eyebrows shooting up. “ _Tony Stark not… not recommended_? That doesn’t make any sense. How can you approve me but not approve me?” How did people not get that he and the suit were the same thing? Iron Man _was_ Tony. Sure, his behavior wasn’t always the best, but he was better! “I’m actually the most stable I’ve been in a while. I got a new ticker. Everything else is back in order. I’m trying to do right by the world.”

He watched as Nick pushed up to his feet and made his way around the table. He stopped beside Tony, sitting on the table, and looked down at him. “Which leads us to believe at this juncture we’d only like to use you as a consultant.”

A… what? _What_? Tony bit back the instinctive demand to know whether this was honestly because of his recent behavior, or if it was because they knew who and _what_ Tony was. Was it just that _Tony Stark_ wasn’t good enough for his little superhero project, or was it that they didn’t want a _warlock_ being a part of it?

Either way, there was only one real way for Tony to respond to that. He rose to his feet as well, a mask already in place, and he held his hand out to Nick. When Nick took it, Tony clasped his other hand over the top of theirs. Then he leaned in just a little and smiled as he told him: “You can’t afford me.”

Life hell if Tony was going to grovel for SHIELD and their precious Shadowhunters with their biased assessments. Tony might not always be the best at it, but he knew his worth, especially in areas like this. If they wanted to dismiss him down to a _consultant_ status in the hopes that he’d be happy for whatever scraps they decided to throw his way, they had another thing coming. He wasn’t some broken guy with no one else in the world on his side like they so clearly thought.

Tony had friends. He had a _family_. Even if SHIELD didn’t see it, Tony really was far more stable than he’d been in a long time, and he was going to stay that way. He didn’t need Nick Fury or his precious _Avengers Initiative_.

As Tony walked out of that warehouse, chin up and head held high, he felt proud of himself for having the strength to do something he wouldn’t have just a few years ago. Hell, even a year ago. Tony had wanted too desperately to belong _somewhere_ back then. But one thing recent events had taught him was that he already had somewhere he belonged. Somewhere that he didn’t have to be someone he wasn’t, or where he was made to feel ashamed of who he was.

One day, SHIELD was going to regret underestimating him like this. They were going to need his help, and if he weren’t feeling too petty that day, _maybe_ he’d help them.

 _Maybe_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking through this with me! This ending isn't the best, but I couldn't think of how to wrap it up.
> 
> :P Next up - dealing with the arc reactor, and making new friends :D

**Author's Note:**

> Any mistakes in here are mine - I'm still looking for a Beta willing to work on Google Docs with me for this story :)
> 
> Reviews are always loved!!


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